Alassio, Province of SAVONA
The parish church of Sant'Ambrogio was built in the fifteenth century on the site of a tenth-century building. It preserves many valuable works such as paintings by Giovanni Andrea De Ferrari and Bernardo Castello. The church of the Santissima Annunziata in the district of Solva dates from 1382 but was rebuilt a century later: it has some interesting fresco work depicting the seven deadly sins and hell. The sanctuary of Maria Santissima on Monte Tirasso was built in the thirteenth century and was later given the name of the sanctuary of the Madonna della Guardia. It is a traditional place of devotion of sailors and contains many votary objects related to life at sea.
The "muretto" in Alassio is famous for the end-of-summer beauty contest; the paving stones on the seafront promenade are signed by famous people from the world of sport and show business.
Alassio beach stretches for a distance of 3700 metres. The sand is composed of quartz, silicates and chalk and is of a very fine consistency. One rare feature of this seaside resort is that the water remains very shallow for a long way out.
There are many excellent local sports facilities: the sports centre, swimming pool, minigolf, tennis, the five horse-racing tracks and many other attractions. The leisure port can berth up to 400 boats. The surrounding area is of interest from both a historical and natural point of view: you can follow the ancient Via Julia Augusta, visit the old districts of Santa Croce and Solva, and follow the 25 well-marked pathways up to the higher areas. The typical sweet specialities of Alassio are called "baci" and "biscette".
Laigueglia, Province of SAVONA
Situated in a well-sheltered position between Alassio and Capo Mele and between the hills and the sea, the ancient town of Aquilia was founded in Roman times but saw its greatest development from the seventeenth century, when coral fishing and maritime commerce put it at the centre of a trading network that covered the entire Mediterranean area, despite the continual dangers posed by the Saracens. The architectural layout of the town reflects the needs of both trading and defence, with large squares looking onto the sea and narrow streets winding up between the houses. Here you can visit the impressive Baroque church of San Matteo (with works by Bernardo Strozzi and Giovanni Andrea De Ferrari) and the sixteenth-century watchtower, which has remained almost intact. The invasions that were once a nightmare are today an attraction: every summer the town relives the Invasion of the Saracens in a full-dress festival that ends with a firework display. Modern tourist facilities have been built into the old fishing village without taking away its character and have brought new life to the town following the decline of maritime commerce: tourist facilities are complete, varied and extremely up-to-date. The sand on the beaches is very fine and suitable for those undergoing heliotherapy treatment and the sea has been awarded the "Blue European Flag" for cleanness. The hills slope from a height of 370 metres in Poggio Brea down to 165 metres in Colla Micheri, after which you go down to nearby Andora. Local cuisine is noted for its seafood specialities: Capo Mele soup, "novellame di Zerro" (a characteristic brown-backed fish), Muggine mullet roe and fillet of tuna. There are also typical sweet specialities: "panzerotti" (jam-filled pancakes), "marunsin" (crunchy almond biscuits), "papuette" and "treie" (almond specialities in the shape of ducklings or mullet).Laigueglia was the birthplace of Giovanni Battista Libero Badaṛ in 1799, a doctor and patriot who emigrated to Brazil and was condemned to death in 1830 for his liberal ideas.
Note: The above is an extract taken from the official web-site of the Regione Ligure, Agriculture and tourism department - Tourist section. |
Travel Hint: Travelling along the Italian Riviera to visit Liguria's coastal towns and cities is recommended by train - they are frequent, comfortable and generally on time. They also take you into the resort centres and give you an additional perspective and 'flavour' of Italian life. The car by contrast is not quite as practical and ideal as first appears. There are basically two roads along the Riviera, the 'autostrada' and the 'Aurelia'. Italian 'autostrada' can be fairly stressed environments and the coastal road (via Aurelia) is pretty in parts but very slow, passing through every little seaside town. Additionally, parking in most Ligurian coastal towns is not in abundance and can take much longer to find a space than ever imagined - during most of the year, not just in summer. With car-hire, petrol, motorway tolls and parking charges, the car soon becomes an expensive and less than ideal way of getting around - and more often than not, slower overall than the journey by train.
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