Diano

Diano is an Italian toponym and, occasionally, a surname. It is used for several municipalities in Liguria and Piedmont, and for geographical features associated with western Liguria’s inland areas. The most widely known instances are in Liguria, where the name appears in three comuni situated in the province of Imperia: Diano Marina, a coastal town on the Ligurian Sea known for its beaches and tourist amenities; Diano Castello, a hilltop commune with medieval fortifications and views over the coast; and Diano San Pietro, a small inland municipality near the Val di Diano. In Piedmont, Diano d’Alba is a comune in the Langhe region of the province of Cuneo, noted for its wine production and scenic landscapes.

The origin of the toponym Diano is unclear; it may derive from ancient or medieval linguistic layers unique to Liguria and the Langhe area, and it is sometimes found in family names. The term is also used in the name of the Val di Diano, a valley in western Liguria that links these towns to the inland river basins.