Savona is an Italian town of 59 933 inhabitants, the capital of the province of the same name in Liguria. It is the third largest municipality in the region by population. The symbol of the city is the Tower named after the Savona navigator Leon Pancaldo. Its port is important in the Mediterranean for tourism and trade.
1 Cathedral of the Assumption (Cathedral of Our Lady of the
Assumption), Via Ambrogio Aonzo. A donation is required to view the
choir stalls. Guided tours of the cathedral are available from 10am to
12pm and 4pm to 5pm on Saturdays and 4pm to 5pm on Sundays. Tourists are
not allowed to visit during the celebrations. The Cathedral of the
Assumption as it stands was largely built in the late 16th century,
although the cloisters have some medieval elements. It was built to
replace the previous cathedral which was demolished by the Genoese to
build the Priamar fortress. While the exterior is early Baroque, the
interior is richly decorated and dates back to the 18th century. The
earliest surviving elements include the richly carved wooden choir
stalls by Anselmo De Fornari and Elia De Racchi, made between 1520 and
1521, the Byzantine font and the pulpit, which was partially recovered
from the old cathedral. The treasury contains a small collection of
high-quality Renaissance paintings, including works by the Master of
Hoogstraeten and Tuccio d'Andrea.
2 Sistine Chapel, Via Ambrogio
Aonzo. €2. Sat-Sun 10:00-12:00 and 16:00-17:00. Though modest compared
to Rome's Sistine Chapel, this late Gothic style church, in the
cloisters of the Duomo, is well worth a visit. It was built by order of
Pope Sixtus VI between 1481 and 1483 to house the tomb of his parents,
Leonardo della Rovere and Luchina Monteleoni. The interior decoration is
in extravagant rococo, dating from 1762 to 1764, and is in excellent
condition. Behind the altarpiece there are some traces of the original
frescoes from 1489. A rare survival from this period is the organ from
1764, with its original case, built by the Genoese organ builder Filippo
Piccaluga, restored in 2008.
3 Oratory of Our Lady of Castello.
Proclaimed a national monument, it houses the monumental polyptych
painted by Vincenzo Foppa and Ludovico Brea in 1490. Two imposing
processional chests are also interesting.
Bishop's Palace, Via Pia.
Guided tours are available on Saturdays at 4pm. The Bishop's Palace is
an imposing building, built in 1589 and substantially remodeled in the
18th century. The museum inside houses a collection of Italian
landscapes and marine paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries. You
can also visit the papal apartments, where Pope Pius VII was imprisoned
by Napoleon between August 1809 and June 1812 and also briefly in 1814 -
the state rooms where the Papal Court was temporarily housed have been
restored.
4 Oratory of Saints John the Baptist, John the Evangelist
and Petronilla. Dating back to 1890, it houses works by Anton Maria
Maragliano.
5 Oratory of Saints Peter and Catherine. Dating back to
the 18th century, it houses works by Paolo Gerolamo Brusco and Renata
Cuneo.
6 Oratory of the Risen Christ. It preserves a valuable
fifteenth-century wooden choir of the German school as well as a
processional chest by Anton Maria Maragliano.
7 Church of Sant'Andrea
Apostolo. Eighteenth-century church containing a Madonna with Child by
Defendente Ferrari.
8 St. Peter's Church. Seventeenth-century church,
it was built by the Discalced Carmelites. Richly frescoed, it has some
important canvases inside.
9 Church of San Giovanni Battista in San
Domenico, via Paleocapa. It dates back to the 16th century.
10 Church
of Santa Lucia. Located along the ancient road connecting with Albissola
Marina.
11 Charterhouse of Loreto. Built by Stefano Embruno in 1480
and later enlarged. It was perhaps built on the previous Castle of
Loreto.
12 Capuchin Convent. Built starting from 1539, it is located
in a dominant position on a hill behind the city.
13 Former church
and convent of San Giacomo. Built in the 15th century, it is the only
example of a late medieval church preserved in the city and one of the
few in Italy.
14 Oratory of the Beguines.
15 Church of Saints
Lorenzo, Biagio and Donato.
16 Church of Santa Maria Giuseppa
Rossello.
17 Church of San Francesco da Paola.
18 Church of Mary
Help of Christians.
19 Church of the Sacred Heart.
20 Monastery of
Santa Teresa.
21 Chapel of San Michele.
22 Palazzo Della Rovere (Palazzo Santa Chiara), via Pia. The work of
the architect Giuliano da Sangallo, it was built by Cardinal Giuliano
della Rovere, the future Pope Julius II. The start of the works dates
back to February 4, 1495 under the supervision of Urbano Vegerio, his
procurator. In 1496 some surrounding houses were purchased to extend the
palace, which however would remain incomplete (note the isolated columns
at the entrance, which in the original intentions were part of a
different context, complete with a coat of arms, etc.). The project is
by the Florentine Giuliano da Sangallo, assisted by Matteo De Bixono, to
whom in 1500 the elders of the city granted Savonese citizenship in
merit of the project. Having been used in the XVII-XVIII century as a
convent of the Poor Clares, it is also known as Palazzo Santa Chiara.
23 Palazzo Ferrero-Colonna-Cambiaso (Villa Cambiaso). Historic building,
registered in the Italian monumental heritage, where Napoleon Bonaparte
and Pope Pius VII stayed, among others, in prayer retreat in the
consecrated chapel of the building.
24 Palazzo delle Piane, Corso
Italia. Also known as the "Palazzo delle Palle", due to the six large
copper spheres placed on the roof and supported by a structure in the
shape of a brazier, it is one of the greatest artistic peaks of Savona
Liberty. It is the work of the engineer and architect Alessandro
Martinengo and was created with the collaboration of Adolfo Ravignetti,
between 1910 and 1911. For the occasion, Martinengo was inspired by a
floral current spread in Milan by the school leader Somaruga.
25
Palazzo dei Pavoni, Via Pietro Paleocapa. Built in 1910 and located in
the very central Via Paleocapa, it is a significant example of Liberty,
clearly inspired by the Viennese Secession for the choice of combining
large smooth surfaces with colored ceramic inserts together with
majolica bands decorated with peacocks.
26 Former San Paolo Civic
Hospital. Located in the central Piazza Giulio II, it was finished in
1857 and is one of the most successful works of the architect Carlo Sada
of Bellagio. It has recently been renovated and intended for commercial
and residential use.
27 Casa dei Colombo, Via di Porta Soprana, ☎ +39
0104490128. One of the houses of Christopher Columbus is located in
Valcada, on the heights of Legino: the great navigator, in his youth,
settled for several years, together with his family.
28 Tempietto
Boselli, Via Dante Alighieri. It is a late eighteenth-century
neoclassical temple created by the ceramist Giacomo Boselli. Saved from
the demolition of the "Boselli factory" in 1931, it was restored and
placed in a new location in the "Dante Alighieri" public park.
29 Museum of Ceramics, Palazzo Gavotti, Piazza Chabrol, ☎ +39 019
8310256, Musei@comune.savona.it. The ticket is also valid for the
Pinacoteca Civica located in the same building. €8, reduced €5, free for
minors, the disabled and students (ticket also valid for the Pinacoteca
Civica). Tue 10:00-13:30, Wed-Fri 10:00-13:30, 15:30-18:30, Sun and
public holidays 10:00-13:30. The Ceramics Museum is located in a 16th
century building in the historic center of Savona, and boasts one of the
most beautiful collections of ceramics in the world. The collection has
a strong focus on Ligurian ceramics, with two floors dedicated to
production from the 16th to the 18th century. There's also a
reconstruction of a 16th-century apothecary's shop with over a hundred
original items. The museum features a rich collection of modern
ceramics, including Arturo Martini's famous sculpture Nena and Maria
Galfré's Albero de Kaki, a life-size terracotta tree. Detailed
information on the displays is available in English and Italian in each
hall.
30 Municipal Art Gallery (Palazzo Gavotti), Piazza Chabrol, ☎
+39 019 8310256, Musei@comune.savona.it. €8 (ticket also valid for the
Museum of Ceramics). Tue 10:00-13:30, Wed-Fri 10:00-13:30, 15:30-18:30,
Sun and public holidays 10:00-13:30. The collection is unusually rich
for a regional gallery, especially given the presence of the Crucifixion
by Donato de' Bardi, which dates back to 1448 and is the oldest oil on
canvas painting. There is an impressive collection of local religious
painting from the 15th and 16th centuries. The modern art collection
housed on the ground floor is also worth seeing, and includes many other
obscure works by great artists, with Magritte's enigmatic Capital
Confidence being a particular highlight. Picasso, Miro, De Chirico and
Fontana are also represented.
31 Exhibition Museum of Nautical Arts
"Leon Pancaldo", Piazza Cavallotti (at the Liceo Statale Chiabrera
Martini). It houses about 1000 items of various seafaring culture such
as models of ships and working steam engines, ancient navigation and
meteorological survey instruments dating back to the mid-1800s, scale
sections of ships, navigation instruments. The flagship is the historic
functioning planetarium, one of the four existing today in Italy.
32
Picture gallery of the episcopal seminary, Via Ponzone 5. by
reservation. It houses about a hundred paintings mainly of the Ligurian
school. Among the most significant artists stand out Gioacchino
Assereto, Giovanni Battista Carlone, Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione
known as Il Grechetto, Antonio Travi, Carlo Giuseppe Ratti, Paolo
Gerolamo Brusco. A fifteenth-century wooden crucifix of the Catalan
school is very interesting.
33 All About Apple Museum, Piazza De
André. Located inside the old dockyard, it is the largest Apple museum
in the world. The collection includes practically all the production of
personal computers, peripherals, accessories and prototypes from the
very beginning of the company up to the present day.
34 Priamar Fortress, Musei@comune.savona.it. It is a fortress located
on the hill of the same name, between the gardens of the Prolungamento
and the old dock, built by the Republic of Genoa starting in 1542
following the definitive capture of the city in 1528. It incorporates,
among others, the Loggia del Castello di Santa Maria o Castello Nuovo of
1417 and preserves the few remains of the ancient city cathedral. In
1830-1831 Giuseppe Mazzini was imprisoned there and his cell can still
be visited today. The name derives from Pri-a-màr, stone on the sea
according to one of the etymological interpretations, or "Pria mä", mala
stone, according to a more accredited version.
Next to the fortress
is the archaeological area with excavations where remains from the Roman
era have been found.
35 Torre Leon Pancaldo (Torretta or Torre della
Quarda), piazza Leon Pancaldo. It is the symbol of the city. Built in
the 14th century at the strategic crossroads of the port, it is
dedicated to the Savonese navigator Leon Pancaldo, who accompanied
Ferdinand Magellan on the first circumnavigation of the world.
36
Torre del Brandale (Campanassa), Piazza del Brandale, ☎ +39 019821379,
savonaliberocomune@campanassa.it. It is also called Campanassa from the
name of the ancient bell that used to surmount it. The upper part was
demolished after the defeat in the wars against the Genoese and was
rebuilt only after the bombings of the Second World War, when the bell
was also reinstalled.
37 Riario and Corsi Towers, Piazza del
Brandale. Located in front of the Brandale Tower, they were also cut off
by the Genoese but resisted the bombings of the Second World War, which
demolished the surrounding buildings instead.
38 Fort of the Madonna
degli Angeli. Reachable via a dirt road, it is currently in a state of
abandonment.
39 Castello dello Sperone (behind the Gabriello
Chiabrera theatre). Ancient medieval castle of which only a few sections
of the walls remain on Monticello.
40 Monument to the fallen Bells and Memories, piazza Goffredo Mameli.
The monument with a marble base and bronze figures (molten bronze
removed from some enemy cannons) was created by the Sestrese sculptor
Luigi Venzano at the request of the National Association of the Mothers
and Widows of the Fallen. It was inaugurated on 18 September 1927 with a
ceremony in which King Vittorio Emanuele III took part and since then
every day at 18:00 in Piazza Goffredo Mameli the fallen of all wars are
commemorated with 21 tolling of the bell, one for each letter of the
Italian alphabet: during the tolling the traffic and pedestrians stop as
a sign of respect.
41 Monument to Garibaldi, Hero of the Two Worlds
square (in the gardens of the Extension). It is a large equestrian
monument dedicated to Giuseppe Garibaldi, by the sculptor Leonardo
Bistolfi. Inaugurated in 1927 by the leader's grandson, the statue is
positioned so that Garibaldi's gaze looks towards his hometown, Nice.
42 Monument to the Resistance (Monumento al partisan), piazza Martiri
della Libertà. Imposing work in bronze and work of Agenore Fabbri, it
depicts a man torn apart by suffering and by the yearning for freedom
that tears apart the bars that imprison him.
43 Monument to the
Sailor. Located at the entrance to the port dock, it depicts a man
scanning the horizon with his lantern and is also the work of Renata
Cuneo.
44 San Giacomo Bridge (Ponte Sisto IV), Via Cappa Paolo. Built
by Pope Sixtus IV in 1479 to join Monticello to the Mangiaguadagno hill
(today Colle di San Giacomo) and make the connection between the city
and the convent complex of San Giacomo easier.
45 Fountain Fight
between man and shark (fountain Del Pesce), piazza Marconi. It was built
in 1965. It consists of three tanks, one circular and two crescents
below which receive a waterfall from the one above. At the center of the
circular basin, surrounded by jets of water on a boulder of green Stella
stone, stands the statue of the Savonese sculptor Renata Cuneo "Fight
between man and shark".
46 Church of Our Lady of the Angels.
47 Church of the Name of
Mary.
48 Chapel of San Sebastiano.
49 Filippo Maria Visconti
Bridge. Located on the border with the municipalities of Vado Ligure and
Quiliano, it was built in 1434.
50 Fort Ciuto. Closed to the public
and in a state of neglect.
51 Fort of Madonna del Monte. Closed to
the public, it is also in a state of abandonment.
Other
52
Church of San Dalmazio (in the Lavagnola district, near the chapel of
San Martino). Contains a polyptych by Barnaba da Modena.
53 Chapel of
San Martino. The chapel stands on the left bank of the Letimbro stream,
at the mouth of a medieval bridge and mirrors the chapel of Santa Maria
located on the other end of the bridge, along the right bank. The
building should date back to the 11th century and retains the original
bell tower, while the rest of the structure, with a single nave with a
pronaos over the entrance, is the result of a 19th-century renovation.
Inside there is an interesting plaque commemorating the construction of
the aforementioned bridge, dated 1264. It is a representation of God the
Father flanked by two angels and is one of the few examples of medieval
sculpture in Savona. In the lower part, an inscription bears the name of
Simone Doria, mayor of Savona in that year.
54 Chapel of Santa Maria.
55 Oratory of San Dalmazio.
56 Imperial Palace. Of fourteenth-century
origins and rebuilt in the sixteenth century, it is located on the edge
of the town at the confluence of the Lavanestro and Letimbro streams.
57 Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy, fraction of Shrine of Savona. It was
built following the apparition of the Madonna to Antonio Botta, which
according to tradition took place in 1536, and is dedicated to the
patron saint of the city. It is a sumptuous example of Baroque
architecture which, inside, boasts an altar by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and
precious paintings by Domenichino. The statue of the patron saint was
crowned directly by Pius VII at the end of his captivity. Attached to
the church there is a museum which collects objects of sacred art and
votive offerings.
58 Museum of the treasure of the sanctuary of Our
Lady of Mercy (in the palace of the Duke of Tursi, adjacent to the
sanctuary), ☏ +39 019833121. The museum was built between 1536 and 1540,
with the annexed complex of hospices of Our Lady of Mercy. The
collections were formed thanks to prestigious gifts and donations from
the 15th to the 19th century, and to the votive offerings of
aristocratic Savonese and Genoese families. Precious vestments in worked
or embroidered fabric are preserved here, among which the planet of the
Duke of Urbino (1623), eighteenth-century textiles in the Revel and
Bizzarre style, liturgical furnishings and precious silverware stand
out, among which the reliquary of the cross of seventeenth-century Roman
production, the goblet of the goldsmith Vincenzo Belli (18th century),
The golden crown known as that of Pius VII. Some wooden and ivory
sculptures from the 15th and 16th centuries are also part of the
exhibition complex. There are also paintings on canvas with paper
support of peasant and seafaring subjects, combined with typical models
of boats in wood and silver foil.
59 Fountain of the Sanctuary. Built
in the square in front of the Sanctuary of Nostra Signora della
Misericordia (Savona) in 1708 by Giacomo Ponsonelli di Massa, a pupil of
the Genoese Filippo Parodi; it was financed by the Genoese marquise
Teresa Spinola-Sauli, devoted to Our Lady of Mercy. The work, in full
Baroque style, consists of a central basin in the shape of a quadrilobe
with jets of water that spray inwards from the edges; it is surmounted
in the center by a spire that holds the statue of an angel twisting with
open wings while holding a scroll with the inscription in the Latin
phrase "Haurietis in gaudio", or, "You will quench your thirst in joy"
(verse n. 12 of Isaiah ). In a position below the tank, there is a mask
which makes the water flow into a tub below.
Beaches. The beaches of Savona have obtained the Blue Flag in 2002,
2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007.
motor activities. There are also
opportunities for cycling and hiking in the area. In Varazze, to the
east, the cycle path of the "Lungomare ciclabile" railway begins, which
leads to Arenzano. It is about 10 km long, has numerous tunnels and can
also be easily covered on foot.
Take the Sentiero dei Ragazzi del
Sole. This short-term route is a pleasant excursion in the middle of
nature. Starting from via Repusseno, you go up through the woods, cross
the former Savona-San Giuseppe di Cairo cable car, ford streams and
admire the panorama of the coast until you come out in via San Nazario.
The duration of the excursion is approximately two hours.
By plane
Nice airport
Genoa-Sestri airport
Albenga Airport
(Albenga).
By car
The city is located on the junction of two
motorways: the Autostrada dei Fiori which connects Genoa with
Ventimiglia and the A6 Savona-Turin motorway. It is easily accessible by
car from Genoa. The journey takes just over half an hour, on the A10.
From the west, Savona is about an hour from Sanremo and two hours
from Nice. This scenic route largely follows the coast.
From
Turin, taking the A6, the journey takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes.
On boat
Port of Savona. Savona is affected by the arrival of the
cruise ships of the Costa Crociere shipping company, which are handled
in a dedicated terminal.
In nearby Vado Ligure there are ferries to
Corsica and Sardinia.
On the train
Savona station. Trenitalia
operates regular services from Genoa. Regional services, which take 40
minutes to an hour, are very frequent and generally cost around €10 for
a return ticket. The fastest InterCity services take around half an
hour, but are less frequent and cost around €18 for a second class and
€21 for a first class return.
Sanctuary station.
Savona Parco
Doria station.
Savona Marittima station.
By bus
Most towns
and larger cities in the province of Savona have reliable bus services
to the city, although departures may not be very frequent.
Line
40/ reaches Finalborgo passing through Finale Ligure
The historic center of Savona is relatively small and easily explored
on foot. Bus services can be useful for getting to the beach.
By
public transport
TPL Linea, ☎ +3901922011, ☎ +39800012727,
posta@tpllinea.it. hourly ticket: €1.50; daily tourist ticket €2.80.
Company that manages urban public transport.
By taxi
Radio
Taxi Savona, ☎ +39 019 808080. 0-24.
Le Officine, Via Stalingrado, 94A, ☎ +39 019264857. Mon-Sat 9:00-20:00, Sun 10:00-20:00.
There are a few bars along the old harbor basin which mainly attract
a younger crowd.
Shows
Gabriello Chiabrera Theatre.
inaugurated in 1853 and named after the Savonese poet and writer
Gabriello Chiabrera. The oldest theater in the city is the Teatro Sacco,
opened in 1785.
Don Bosco Theatre.
Theatre-Cinema Nuovofilmstudio.
n addition to the seafood from the Gulf of Genoa, Savona is best
known for its Farinata and Foccacia. Farinata is a pancake made with
chickpea flour, olive oil, salt and water that is eaten as a simple meal
with a glass of wine. Focaccia is eaten for breakfast or as a snack.
Modest prices
1 inSISTO Gelato out of the ordinary, Via A.
Manzoni, 23, ☎ +39 3458137287.
Average prices
2 Osteria La
Gattafura, Piazza Pippo Rebagliati, 7r, ☎ +39 019 826450.
3 Osteria
Delle Mancine, Via Antonio Baglietto, 26r, ☎ +39 342 939 8222.
4 Luna
Restaurant, Via Domenico Cimarosa, 11r, ☎ +39 019 813381.
5 La Granda
In Riviera Restaurant, Largo delle coffe 5, ☎ +39 019 770 4059.
Average prices
1 NH Hotel, Via A. Chiodo, 9 (in the historic port
"Vecchia Darsena", near the Brandale tower), ☎ +39 019 803211. The NH
Savona Darsena is surrounded by history: Fortezza del Priamar, historic
centre, Piazza Brandale, Chiabrera Theater. Next to the shopping
district, the building has a view of the Ligurian river and the beach.
2 Idea Hotel, Piazza di Vittorio 2 (Next to the Officine shopping
centre), ☎ +390192301700. single room from €45.
3 Motel Mirò, Via
Nizza 62. Price: single from €55.
4 Mare Hotel, Via Nizza 41, ☎ +39
019264065. A bit outside the centre, but with a private beach and fish
restaurant.
5 Miramare, Via Giordano 11R, ☎ +390197700511. single
from €45.
6 Hotel San Marco, Via Ruggero Leoncavallo, 32, ☎ +39 019
813660.
San Paolo Hospital, Via Genova, 30, ☎ +39 01984041.
The etymology of the name "Savona" is very
uncertain. Tito Livio mentions the term Sauone (abl.) Defining it as
an oppidum in the territories of the Alpine Ligurians. In the
seventh century the term Saona is attested. If the term were
Indo-European one could find correlations both with the root * seu-
"that is" wet "or" wet ", and with the idronym" Sava ".
The
toponym could derive from the term of the ancient ligustico saiv,
sav, sab with the meaning of water meeting.
Another
hypothesis derives its name from the Celtic river goddess "Souconna"
and to support this thesis, in addition to the numerous similarities
between the Ligurian and Celtic populations, there is the fact that
even today in the local Savona language the city is named " Sann-a
".
There is a popular belief that the term soap derives from
the city of Savona, and it is obviously a paretymology. It is known
however [without source] that there are traces of its use around the
2nd century AD by the Gauls who used it as an ointment and this was
subsequently reworked by the Ligurians into a hard soap that found a
flourishing production between Genoa and Savona, maintained in the
centuries to come. In the Ligurian tradition (also reported by
French texts) it is said that in Savona the wife of a fisherman
obtained soap by chance for the first time, boiling together olive
oil and soda lye .; the name of the soap, however, is a term of
Germanic origin which came into Latin through the Gallic link and is
etymologically similar to the term sebum (sebum in Latin) through a
common proto-Indo-European root * seyb- (to pour).
The first traces of the city date back to the Middle Bronze Age,
when a first settlement was built on the Priamar hill. Ancient
center of the Ligurian Sabazi, the city was an ally of Carthage
during the Second Punic War, against Rome already an ally of Genoa.
After ups and downs Rome subdued Savona around 180 BC. and the
latter came, from the end of the second century BC, to supplant the
role of Genoa as the main port of Liguria.
With the fall of
the Roman Empire after the 5th century, the city suffered
devastation by Heruli and Goths. Back under the Byzantines after the
Gothic wars there was a brief recovery that lasted until the
conquest by the Lombard king Rotari in 641. It was therefore part of
the Lombard Kingdom, in the Duchy of Liguria, with Genoa as its
capital. Under the dominion of the Franks of Charlemagne, it became
the seat of a county and resumed trade on the sea. After bitter
struggles with the Saracen pirates, it became a free Commune on 10
April 1191. In the 11th century Savona, at first allied with the
maritime republic of Genoa, undertook hard struggles but also strong
intertwining with it.
The apex of economic flourishing took
place in the period in which the Popes of the Della Rovere family,
Sixtus IV (1471-1484) and Julius II (1503-1513) were elected to the
papal throne, who supported the city with generous donations and
today is remembered also to be given the name of City of the Popes.
The struggles with Genoa ended tragically for Savona in 1528, with
its final conquest. This involved, in addition to numerous victims,
the destruction of a large part of the city and the burial of the
port. From this moment Savona followed the fate of the Republic of
Genoa.
In the eighteenth century the city resumed its
seafaring activity. With trade, the arts flourished again and Savona
was enriched with noble palaces, villas and churches. In 1805
Liguria was annexed to the French Empire and Savona became the
capital of the Montenotte Department. In 1815 the Congress of Vienna
established the annexation of the Ligurian Republic to the
territories of the Kingdom of Sardinia, with which it then became
part of the newly constituted Kingdom of Italy in 1861. Under the
Napoleonic administration of the prefect Chabrol the city began a
slow rebirth, which evolved with the arrival of the railway and the
beginning of the Savona industrial revolution.
During the
Second World War the city suffered massive aerial bombardments due
to the presence of war industries and the port, which caused serious
damage, especially to the ancient districts of the port area. Savona
is among the cities decorated with military valor for the war of
liberation.
The city is located on the western Ligurian Riviera,
near the mouths of the Letimbro and Quiliano, and at the junction of
two motorways: the Autostrada dei Fiori which connects Genoa with
Ventimiglia and the A6 Savona-Turin motorway.
The
municipality consists of the capital and the following hamlets and
localities: Bosco delle Ninfe, Ciantagalletto, Ciatti, Cimavalle,
Conca Verde, Galleria Ranco, Church of the Madonna del Monte,
Marmorassi, Maschio, Montemoro, Naso di Gatto, San Bartolomeo al
Bosco, San Bernardo in Valle, Sanctuary and Strà, for a land area of
65.55 km².
Savona borders to the north with the
municipality of Cairo Montenotte, to the east with Albisola
Superiore and Albissola Marina, to the south with the Ligurian Sea,
to the south-west with Vado Ligure, to the west with Quiliano,
Altare and Cairo Montenotte.
It is about 35 km by motorway
from Genoa (Prá) and just under 100 km from Sanremo.
The climate is temperate of the Mediterranean type with a beginning
of continental influences towards the hinterland.
Summer is
moderately hot and rarely muggy. During the winter, periods with
sunny days and not very low temperatures alternate when Liguria is
protected by the anticyclone of the Azores with other more rigid
ones when low pressures form on the Gulf of Genoa. This baric
configuration causes strong dark north winds and sometimes snowfall
up to the coast. In these cases Savona is one of the coldest places
on the entire Ligurian Riviera.
As soon as the effects of the
dark north wind cease, the warm breezes of the deep Ligurian sea
take over and the temperatures in Savona return to more moderate
values. The weather turns out to be mild for much of the summer and
spring.
Anthropogenic geography
Regions
There are numerous hamlets in the municipality, generally
made up of small hillside settlements. The most populated fraction is
Santuario, which has 820 inhabitants and takes its name from the
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mercy.
Other hamlets are Marmorassi (186
inhabitants), Montemoro (103 inhabitants), Botta (69 inhabitants),
Molino del Lavagna (58 inhabitants), Maschio (55 inhabitants) and Conca
Verde (34 inhabitants).
Crafts
Local craftsmanship is centered on the manufacturing of
ceramics both in a classic style, such as the famous "Antico Savona"
embellished with mythological or rural images, and contemporary.
Industry
Savona industry reached its peak in the last century, with a
thriving iron and steel business and important industrial realities also
in the mechanical, glass and food sectors. In recent decades, however,
the city has experienced a radical process of deindustrialization, with
important repercussions also on the demographic level.
To date,
there are twelve companies from Savona, i.e. based in the municipality
or in the surrounding area, which are among the top hundred in Liguria
by turnover: Bombardier, Infineum, GF Group - Orsero Group, Saint Gobain
Vetri, Piaggio Aero, Demont, ExxonMobil, Forship , Noberasco,
Continental Brakes, Sefer and Expertise, Bitron.
Following the deindustrialization of the city in the last decade, the tourism sector has begun to acquire a good importance, thanks to the presence of the cruise terminal, the restyling of the old dock, the enhancement of various cultural assets of the city.
Streets
Historically located along the Via Aurelia, Savona
represents a junction between the A10 Genoa-Ventimiglia and A6
Turin-Savona motorways, as well as for the system of arteries connecting
with the hinterland including some provincial roads and the Colle di
Cadibona state road 29 . The Aurelia bis is currently under construction
which will allow the city center to be relieved of traffic.
Railways
The Savona station, located along the Genoa-Ventimiglia
railway, also acts as a hub for the confluence of the two Apennine
routes of the Turin-Savona railway. The plant is served by national and
regional connections operated by Trenitalia. The current station, the
work of Pier Luigi Nervi, was inaugurated in 1977 following the doubling
of the Genoa-Ventimiglia line and then radically modernized in 2011. It
replaced the old station which stood in Piazza del Popolo and ran
alongside the Letimbro stream. In the municipal area, on the
Turin-Savona line, there are also the Santuario station and the Maschio
station, the latter abolished in 2009.
You bring
The port of
Savona is, in terms of importance of goods and passenger traffic, the
second port in Liguria after Genoa as well as the fifth national and
ninth European cruise port with 910,244 passengers and 210 ships touched
in 2016.
The airport has a modern maritime station, the
Palacrociere, built in project financing with the Costa Crociere
company. The structure welcomes about one million tourists every year to
which must be added the passengers who embark from the ferry terminal of
the nearby port of Vado Ligure.
As far as freight traffic is
concerned, the port pole offers important outlets to the sea for the
industries of the Piedmontese and Lombard hinterlands.
Of notable
importance is also the cable car that connects the coal terminal of the
port of Savona to the coking plant of San Giuseppe in Cairo; at the time
of construction (1910-1913) it was the longest cable car in Europe with
its 17 km overtaking the Ligurian Apennines and is currently the third.
Urban mobility
The urban and suburban connections are carried out
through bus services managed by the company TPL Linea.
From 1912
to 1948 the Savona-Vado Ligure tramway was active, an extra-urban
connection that included urban intensification within Savona managed by
the Savonesi Electric Tramway Company.
Soccer
The main football association of the city is the A.S.D.
Savona Calcio, formed in 2020 from the ashes of Savona FBC and militant
in the First Category championship. Before the bankruptcy, Savona FBC
played for several decades among professionals, also playing in the
First Division after the war. Among the players who have played in the
team are Pierino Prati, who began and ended his career here, "Beppe"
Furino, Eugenio Fascetti, Marcello Lippi, Walter Zenga, Enrico Cucchi,
Giuliano Taccola, Nello Governato, Vittorio Panucci and Paolo Ponzo.
From 1959 to 2020, the team played in the city's main sports facility,
the Valerio Bacigalupo municipal stadium.
The other soccer teams
in the city are the U.S. Legino 1910 and the F.B.C. Veloce 1910,
militants in the Promotion championship, the A.S.D. Hope 1912 F.C. and
the U.S. Letimbro, militants in the First Category championship and the
U.S. Priamar 1942, militant in the Second Category championship.
Water polo
Savona boasts a water polo team that has been playing in
A1 since 1981, the Rari Nantes Savona, whose roll of honor includes 3
Championships (1991, 1992, 2005), 3 LEN Cups (2004-05, 2010-11, 2011-
12) and 3 Italian Cups (1990, 1991, 1993). The team plays in the Carlo
Zanelli swimming pool.
Cycling
Savona has been the arrival
city of the following stages of the Giro d'Italia over the years:
On
May 31, 1969, the 16th stage of the 1969 Giro d'Italia ended in Savona
with the victory of Roberto Ballini. Eddy Merckx, at the conclusion of
the same stage, was found positive in the anti-doping test and
disqualified.
On 27 May 1983 the 14th stage of the 1983 Giro d'Italia
ended in Savona with the victory of Gregor Braun.
On June 6, 1991,
the 11th stage of the 1991 Giro d'Italia ended in Savona with the
victory of Max Sciandri.
On May 21, 2014, the 11th stage of the 97th
Giro d'Italia ended in Savona with the victory of Michael Rogers.
Punchball
The Savona handball teams compete in the Gian Carlo
Ruffino ballroom, which is a modern and comfortable structure for fans
of this sport, which has an ancient tradition in all the surrounding
towns in the area.
Petanque
The Associazione Bocciofila
Savonese, first born in Savona in 1920 and among the top thirty in
Italy, over the course of its long history has won eleven Italian titles
and a third place at the 1953 World Championships in Lausanne in
squares. In 2006 it was awarded the CONI Gold Star for Sports Merit and
in 2020 it received the CONI Gold Collar for Sports Merit, the highest
honor of Italian sport, becoming the first bowling association of the
Italian Bowls Federation to be awarded this merit .
Other sports
The Savonese Gymnastics Brotherhood, founded in 1883, has given life to
all the major sports sections of the city, including those of football,
fencing, athletics, Greco-Roman wrestling, cycling, swimming. Currently
the women's artistic gymnastics team competes in Serie A1.
Canottieri Sabazia are also of considerable importance in the city's
sports scene with regard to canoeing, Savona Rugby, a reference company
in the province of Savona for the past thirty years, and the two field
hockey teams, the Savona Hockey Club and the Hockey Club Liguria.