Sanremo
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frazioni = San Romolo, Poggio, Bussana, Bussana Vecchia, Coldirodi, Verezzo, San Bartolomeo, Gozzo Superiore, Gozzo Inferiore, Verezzo San Donato, Verezzo Sant'Antonio, San Giacomo, San Giovanni, Borello | telephone = 0184 | postalcode = 18038 | gentilic = Sanremesi or Sanremaschi| saint = Saint Romolo | day = October 13 | website = comunedisanremo.it |
}}
Sanremo is a city with about 56,000 inhabitants and lies on the Mediterranean coast of western Liguria in northwestern Italy. It was founded in Roman times and is now best known for being a tourist destination on the Italian Riviera and the host of several cultural events such as the Sanremo Music Festival.
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The name
The official spelling is Sanremo, a phonetic contraction for the name San Romolo (Saint Romolo), official saint and protector of the city, which in the local dialect sounds like San Rœmu. The wrong spelling San Remo was introduced (for unknown reasons) in 1924 by the City Major and used in official documents during fascism. San Remo is actually a nonsense because there is no saint called Remo in the catholic tradition. The name is however still misspelled in some road signs and turist information. Apparently the version San Remo is very common in English. Image:Sanremo007.jpg
History
Once a Roman settlement (Matutia or Villa Matutiana), it has expanded in the Early Middle Ages when the population moved to the high grounds and built a castle and a walled village (La Pigna) to protect the city from Saracen raids. At first subjected to the countship of Ventimiglia, it passed later under the dominion of the Genoese bishops, who in 1297 sold it to the Doria and De Mari families. It became a free town in the second half of the 15th century and spread on the Pigna hill and at San Siro, near the Cathedral. The old village remains almost perfectly conserved nowadays. Image:Sanremo0002.jpg
Sanremo was independent from Genoa (Italian: Genova) for a long time, but in 1753, after twenty years of strong contrasts, it rose against the hegemonical attempts of the chief town. The Genoeses built against the town the fortress of Santa Tecla (a prison until 2002, now being transformed into a museum) situated on the beach near the historical port.
After the French domination and the Savoy restoration 1814, it was annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia. The town increased beginnig from the middle of the 18th century with the development of tourism: the first Grand Hotels were built and the town extended along the coast. In that period famous personages sojourned in Sanremo, such as the Empress Maria Alexandrovna, whose reminder is still in the homonymous promenade on the sea and in the suggestive Orthodox church of San Basilio, erected in 1912 on the will of the Russian Community present in the town.
Tourism
Image:Sanremo005.jpg Sanremo enjoys peculiar weather conditions throughout the year due to its vicinity to the Mediterranean Sea and the presence of Maritime Alps right behind the town, the highest top (Monte Bignone) being some 1300 m. above the sea level. Temperatures range from an average of 10°C during winter (the chilliest month being January) and 23°C over the summer. Such conditions make Sanremo one of the most attractive tourist destinations of the Italian Riviera. There are plenty of tourist attractions in Sanremo that are open all year round and can boast numerous and well-equipped sports facilities, such as a golf course and a riding ground. There are two tourist harbours: Porto Vecchio and the modern Porto Sole. Many boutiques and local shops can be found in the town centre. Very famous among the people living in the Italian and French riviera is the colorful market held on Tuesday and Saturday mornings in Piazza Eroi Sanremesi.
Transports
The city is connected to Genoa (Italian Genova) and to Ventimiglia the border city with France, by the freeway A10, whose last part is also known as "Freeway of Flowers" (Autostrada dei Fiori) and gives a panoramic view of the coast. The closes airport to Sanremo is Nice Côte d'Azur airport, only 45 minutes by car. The railway also passes through the city and connects it to the other Ligurian cities, as well as with Nice, Milan, Turin and Rome. The railway tracks, were once located right on the coastline, very close to the sea, allowing travelers to admire the beauty of it. They have now moved further north and underground, speeding up the train transportation. As an effect, the main train station has also been relocated and it is now next to the City Hall. Today an ongoing project, carried by Area 24, is dealing with the task of refurbishing the old area once occupied by the tracks and converting it into a biking route and a pedestrian area.
Economy
Besides tourism, the city is active in the production of Extra Virgin olive oil, whose regional denomination is protected (D.O.P., Denominazione di Origine Protetta) and makes it one of the main production activity in western Liguria and in particular within the province of Imperia. Sanremo is also known as the City of Flowers (la Cittá dei Fiori), this being another important aspect of the economy of the city. The near towns of Arma di Taggia, Bordighera and Ospedaletti are also involved in the cultivation of flowers.
Cultural Events
The town's Municipal Casino, together with the Ariston Theatre, offer annual series of concerts, operas and theater plays. Sanremo's Symphony Orchestra is one of twelve symphonic orchestrae recognized by the state of Italy and it performs some 120 concerts throughout the year, most of which in the Municipal Casino's Opera Theater. The Ariston Theater hosts the annual Sanremo Music Festival, a very popular song contest held in the city since 1951. Internationally famous song "Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu", also known as "Volare", was performed at this festival for the first time by Domenico Modugno in 1958. The festival is so popular amongst Italians that it is often referred to as "Il Festival" (The Festival). Other events include the Tenco Prize (Autumn), a song contest for authors dedicated to the memory of Luigi Tenco, the Flowers Parade held in January/Febraury in which every city of the Italian Riviera presents an original composition of flowers displayed on a Carnival/Mardi-Gras style moving car, and the summer Firework International Contest held during the second week of July.
Sport events
The Sanremo Car Rally Race that used to be part of the FIA World Rally Championship, (a pure tarmac rally, takes place around the mountains), takes place every Spring. Sanremo is also the arrival of the classical cycling race Milan-Sanremo stage of the cycling World Cup.
Famous people
Maria Alexandrovna, consort of Alexander II of Russia, spent the winter of 1874 in Sanremo and as a gift to the city she later donated the palms that now decorate the seaside walk of Corso Imperatrice (Empress Avenue). Alfred Nobel bought a house in Sanremo in 1891 and died here in 1896. The house is since 2002 the place for a permanent exhibit on the most important discoveries of the 19th century including the research interests of Nobel himself. Image:Sanremo006.jpg Italian writer Italo Calvino spent his youth in Sanremo and many of his novels, including Il Barone Rampante remind of his attachment to the city. Image:Sanremolocation2.png
External links
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