Theme Week Italian Riviera

9 May 2020 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Theme Weeks, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  6 minutes

Vernazza © Charles van Dijk/cc-by-3.0

Vernazza © Charles van Dijk/cc-by-3.0

The Italian Riviera, or Ligurian Riviera, is the narrow coastal strip in Italy which lies between the Ligurian Sea and the mountain chain formed by the Maritime Alps and the Apennines. Longitudinally it extends from the border with France and the French Riviera (or Côte d’Azur) near Ventimiglia (a former customs post) eastwards to Capo Corvo (also known as Punta Bianca) which marks the eastern end of the Gulf of La Spezia and is close to the regional border between Liguria and Tuscany. The Italian Riviera thus includes nearly all of the coastline of Liguria. Historically the “Riviera” extended further to the west, through what is now French territory as far as Marseille.   read more…

Theme Week Italian Riviera – Ventimiglia

17 April 2019 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

© Tangopaso

© Tangopaso

Ventimiglia is a city, comune (municipality) and bishopric in Liguria, northern Italy, in the province of Imperia. It is located 130 km (81 mi) southwest of Genoa, and 7 km (4 mi) from the French-Italian border, on the Gulf of Genoa, having a small harbour at the mouth of the Roia River, which divides the town into two parts. Ventimiglia has a population of 24,000. Ventimiglia is a popular summer destination for tourists on the Italian Riviera. Particularly popular all year with visitors from France is the weekly street market (held on a Friday), along the seafront of the new town, which causes major traffic congestion.   read more…

Theme Week Italian Riviera – Porto Venere

5 September 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  7 minutes

Porto Venere from Lerici © Aconcagua/cc-by-sa-3.0

Porto Venere from Lerici © Aconcagua/cc-by-sa-3.0

Porto Venere is a town and comune (municipality) located on the Ligurian coast of Italy in the province of La Spezia. It comprises the three villages of Fezzano, Le Grazie and Porto Venere, and the three islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto. In 1997 Porto Venere and the villages of Cinque Terre were designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.   read more…

Theme Week Italian Riviera – Cinque Terre

11 March 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  7 minutes

Cinque Terre map © Krigh

Cinque Terre map © Krigh

The Cinque Terre is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. It is in the Liguria region of Italy, to the west of the city of La Spezia. “The Five Lands” is composed of five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park (Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre) and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.   read more…

The historic port city of Genoa

3 March 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, European Union, European Capital of Culture, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  9 minutes

Grand Hotel Miramare © Twice25 & Rinina25

Grand Hotel Miramare © Twice25 & Rinina25

Genoa is a city and a major seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria. The city proper has a population of 609,000, while its urban agglomeration consists of 718,896 inhabitants. Finally, the coastal metropolitan area that snakes in the central section of Liguria is estimated to have a population of about 878,000. Genoa has been nicknamed la Superba (“the Superb one”) due to its glorious past and impressive landmarks. Part of the old town of Genoa was inscribed on the World Heritage List (UNESCO) in 2006. The city’s rich art, music, gastronomy, architecture and history, allowed it to become the 2004’s EU Capital of Culture. Genoa, which represents the southern access to the sea of Italy’s industrial north-west basin, is the country’s largest seaport and one of the main manufacturing and commercial hubs. The city, since the 19th century, hosts massive shipyards, oil refineries and steelworks, while its solid financial sector dates back to the Middle Ages. The Bank of Saint George is among the oldest in the world, as it was founded in 1407, playing an important role in the city’s prosperity from the middle of the 15th century. Today a number of leading Italian companies are based in the city, including Fincantieri, Ansaldo Energia, Ansaldo STS and Edoardo Raffinerie Garrone.   read more…

Cristo degli Abissi

28 November 2014 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

Christ of the Abyss at San Fruttuoso © liguriaguide.com

Christ of the Abyss at San Fruttuoso © liguriaguide.com

Christ of the Abyss (Italian: “Il Cristo degli Abissi”) is a submerged bronze statue of Jesus Christ, the original of which is located in the Mediterranean Sea off San Fruttuoso between Camogli and Portofino on the Italian Riviera. It was placed in the water on 22 August 1954 at approximately 17 metres depth, and stands c. 2.5 metres tall.   read more…

Imperia on the Riviera di Ponente

14 November 2013 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

Porto Maurizio © flickr.com - Jukka1/cc-by-2.0

Porto Maurizio © flickr.com – Jukka1/cc-by-2.0

Imperia is a coastal city and comune in the region of Liguria. It is the capital of the province of Imperia, and historically it was capital of the Intemelia district of Liguria. Mussolini created the city of Imperia on 21 October 1923 by combining Porto Maurizio and Oneglia and the surrounding village communes of Piani, Caramagna Ligure, Castelvecchio di Santa Maria Maggiore, Borgo Sant’Agata, Costa d’Oneglia, Poggi, Torrazza, Moltedo and Montegrazie.   read more…

Savona on the Riviera di Ponente

9 May 2013 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  4 minutes

Harbor of Savona © Mstyslav Chernov - mstyslav-chernov.com/cc-by-sa-3.0

Harbor of Savona © Mstyslav Chernov – mstyslav-chernov.com/cc-by-sa-3.0

Savona is a seaport and comune in the northern Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea, with 62,000 inhabitants. Savona used to be one of the chief seats of the Italian iron industry, having iron-works and foundries, shipbuilding, railway workshops, engineering shops, and a brass foundry.   read more…

La Spezia in Liguria

4 May 2013 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

L'arsenale © William Domenichini/cc-by-sa-3.0

L’arsenale © William Domenichini/cc-by-sa-3.0

La Spezia at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia (Golfo dei Poeti – Gulf of the Poets) in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts the arsenal of the Italian Navy. It is important for its museums, for the Palio del Golfo, and for the railway and boat links with Cinque Terre. Going up from the sea it is possible to see partly hidden, but evident traces of history: engraved stones, capitals, and portals in fourteenth century sandstone, double lancet windows vaguely reminiscent of the future renaissance style, mannerism and baroque pediments, and decorations similar to those adorning the portals of the palaces once belonging to the Doria family and the Princes of Massa.   read more…

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