Page 158 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Italian Riviera

156  THE IT ALIAN RIVIER A AREA B Y AREA

here, narrow streets known A round tower, known as the
locally as esci fan out, leading to Torrione circolare (1564), the
the seafront. only bastion remaining of three
At the corner of Via Dante which once protected Laigueglia
and Via Cavour, Caffè Roma from pirates, is the oldest building
has been a popular meeting in the village.
place since the 1930s. In the The church of San Matteo
1950s, the café’s owner had the has two bell towers with
idea of making ceramic tiles bright, majolica-covered
out of the autographs of its cupolas, a delightful example
famous visitors to hang on the of Ligurian Baroque.
wall of the garden opposite. On the ridge between
The Muretto now bears the Laigueglia and Andora is Colla
signatures of many famous Micheri, a hamlet whose houses
personalities, including Ernest were restored and made into
Hemingway, Jean Cocteau and a home by Thor Heyerdahl,
The famous “Muretto” of Alassio, in front Dario Fo. the Norwegian navigator and
of Caffè Roma Alassio’s most signficant ethnologist famous for his epic
monument is the parish church journey by raft from Peru to
t Alassio of Sant’Ambrogio. Founded in Polynesia in 1958. He died
the 1400s, it has a 19th-century here in 2002.
Savona. Road Map B4. * 11,300.
V @ n Piazza della Libertà 5, 0182 façade, an early 16th-century bell
647 027. _ Election of “Miss Muretto” tower and a Baroque interior.
(late Aug); Premio Alassio Centolibri,
a literature prize (summer). Environs
∑ turismoinliguria.it From Alassio, there is a
∑ comune.alassio.sv.it lovely (but steep)
panoramic walk along
A beach of beautifully fine sand, the route of an old
which extends for some 4 km Roman road – the start
(2 miles) and slopes almost of an archaeological walk
imperceptibly down to the sea, that runs all the way to
makes Alassio the undisputed Albenga. In 45 minutes
queen of the Riviera delle Palme. visitors can reach Capo
In the 19th century, it became Santa Croce, where a Santi Giacomo e Filippo church, Andora
a favourite holiday destination small 13th-century
among the English, who came church of the same name y Andora
here and built splendid villas overlooks the sea. Savona. Road Map B4. * 6,500. V
with gardens. Many of these, At the southern end of the @ n Largo Milano, 0182 681 004.
including some Art Nouveau bay of Alassio lies Laigueglia, _ Estate Musicale Andorese, festival
gems, have since been turned a civilized seaside resort with a of classical music in church of Santi
into hotels. well-preserved and picturesque Giacomo e Filippo (Jul & Aug).
Local legend has it that old centre. Of Roman origin, it ∑ turismoinliguria.it
the town’s name derives from became an important centre for ∑ comune.andora.sv.it
Adelasia, daughter of Holy coral fishing in the 16th century.
Roman Emperor Otto I of Saxony, Andora is the last coastal town
who came here in the 10th at the western end of the Riviera
century. Alassio is still very delle Palme and groups
popular with German visitors together several communities,
today. Originally a fishing village, including Marina di Andora on
in the Middle Ages it became the coast. Founded perhaps by
the property of Albenga and, the Phocaeans, from Asia Minor,
later, of Genoa. The Roman road, several centuries BC, Andora
Via Aurelia still passes through it. later belonged to the Romans,
The typically Ligurian who built a bridge over the River
character of Alassio can be seen Merula. The ten-arched Ponte
in the long carruggio (narrow Romano visible today dates, in
street) that runs parallel with fact, from the Middle Ages. The
the sea, hemmed in by 16th– old Roman road leads up to the
17th-century houses and modern ruins of Andora Castello, which
shops. This street is Via XX is in a lovely spot at the top of
Settembre, known as the the hill.
“Budello”, and is the heart of the Colourful boats near the round tower Built by the Marchesi di
town’s commercial life. From in Laigueglia Clavesana in around 1000, this
For hotels and restaurants in this area see pp182–3 and pp194–7

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