Sanremo | |
---|---|
Città di Sanremo | |
Coordinates: 43°49′03″N07°46′30″E / 43.81750°N 7.77500°E | |
Country | Italy |
Region | Liguria |
Province | Imperia (IM) |
Frazioni | Borello, Bussana, Bussana Vecchia, Coldirodi, Gozo Superiore, Gozo Inferiore, Poggio, San Bartolomeo, San Giacomo, San Giovanni, San Romolo, Verezzo, Verezzo San Donato, Verezzo Sant'Antonio |
Government | |
• Mayor | Alberto Biancheri |
Area | |
• Total | 54.7 km2 (21.1 sq mi) |
Elevation | 15 m (49 ft) |
Population (30 April 2009) [2] | |
• Total | 56,864 |
• Density | 1,000/km2 (2,700/sq mi) |
Demonym | Sanremesi or Sanremaschi |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Postal code | 18038 |
Dialing code | 0184 |
ISTAT code | 008055 |
Patron saint | Saint Romulus |
Saint day | October 13 |
Website | Official website |
Sanremo, [a] also spelled San Remo in English and formerly in Italian, is a comune (municipality) on the Mediterranean coast of Liguria, in northwestern Italy. Founded in Roman times, it has a population of 55,000, and is known as a tourist destination on the Italian Riviera. It hosts numerous cultural events, such as the Sanremo Music Festival and the Milan–San Remo cycling classic.
While it is often stated in modern folk stories that Sanremo is named after a legendary Saint Remus, the name of the city is actually a phonetic contraction of Sant'Eremo di San Romolo ("Holy Hermitage of Saint Romulus"), which refers to Romulus of Genoa, the successor to Syrus of Genoa. In Ligurian, its name is San Reumo or San Reumoro.
The non-univerbated spelling San Remo features on ancient maps of Liguria and maps of the Republic of Genoa, Medieval Italy, the Kingdom of Sardinia, and the Kingdom of Italy; it was used in 1924 in official documents under Mussolini. This form of the name, now superseded by Sanremo both officially and in common usage, still appears on some road signs and, more rarely, in unofficial tourist information.
Once the Roman settlement of Matutia or Villa Matutiana, Sanremo expanded in the early Middle Ages when the population moved to the high grounds. The nobility built a castle and the walled village of La Pigna to protect the town from Saracen raids.
At first subjected to the countship of Ventimiglia, the community later passed under the dominion of the Genoese bishops. In 1297 they sold it to the Doria and De Mari families. It became a free town in the second half of the 15th century, after which it expanded to the Pigna hill and at Saint Syrus Cathedral. The almost perfectly preserved old village remains.
Sanremo remained independent of the Genoese Republic. In 1753, after 20 years of fierce conflicts, it rose against Genoese hegemonical attempts. At that time Genoa built the fortress of Santa Tecla, situated on the beach near the port. The fortress was used as a prison until 2002. It is now used as a museum.
After the French domination and the Savoy restoration in 1814, Sanremo was annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia. From the middle of the 18th century, the town grew rapidly, in part due to the development of tourism, which saw the first grand hotels built and the town extended along the coast. The Empress "Sissi" of Austria, Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, and Emperor Nicholas II of Russia took vacations in Sanremo, while Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel made it his permanent home.
The San Remo conference, 19–26 April 1920, of the post-World War I Allied Supreme Council determined the allocation of Class "A" League of Nations mandates for the administration of the former Ottoman-ruled lands of the Middle East by the victorious powers. The most notable of these was the British Mandate of Palestine.
In 1972, the first public demonstration for the defence of the dignity and rights of gay people in Italy took place in Sanremo in protest against an international congress on sexual deviance organized by the Catholic-inspired Italian Center for Sexology. [4]
Sanremo's Mediterranean climate and attractive seacoast setting on the Italian Riviera make it a popular tourist destination. Besides tourism, the city is active in the production of extra virgin-grade olive oil, whose regional "designation of origin" is protected (D.O.P., Denominazione di Origine Protetta ). It is one of the agricultural commodities in western Liguria and in particular within the province of Imperia. Sanremo is known as the City of Flowers (la Città dei Fiori), this being another important aspect of the economy of the city. The nearby towns of Arma di Taggia, Bordighera and Ospedaletti are also involved in the cultivation of flowers for the international flower market.
The Municipal Casino, built in 1905, is an example of Art Nouveau building. The Ariston Theatre offers an annual series of concerts, operas and theatre plays. The Symphony Orchestra is one of twelve symphony orchestras recognized by the state of Italy; it performs some 120 concerts throughout the year, most in the Municipal Casino's Opera Theatre.
The city is connected to Genoa and to Ventimiglia, the border city with France, by the A10 motorway, whose last part is also known as the Autostrada dei Fiori ("Motorway of Flowers"). It has a large number of elevated sections with viaducts that give a panoramic view of the coast. The A10 joins the French A8 highway at the border between Ventimiglia and Menton. Together these national routes are part of the European route E80. The A10 motorway is a toll road, and the A8 demands a toll in sections, and some sections are free of charge. When travelling from Italy into France, one does not pay until after the towns of Menton and Monaco.
Other roads of importance are the SS1, the "Aurelia Bis", which connects Sanremo to Taggia. This is a non-toll bypass route. The coast road is the via Aurelia or SS1 and follows the route of a Roman road. This can be heavily congested when it passes through towns, as it has only one lane in either direction for most of the way around Sanremo. A trolleybus line along the via Aurelia links Sanremo with both Taggia and Ventimiglia.
The closest airport to Sanremo is in France, the Côte d'Azur International Airport in Nice, 45 minutes away by car. The railway connects the city to other Ligurian cities like Imperia, Genoa and to Nice, Milan, Turin and Rome.
The railway line used to be along the coast, running close to the sea, and providing a view for travellers. The line has been moved further north and underground, which allows for faster trains; Sanremo railway station was relocated next to the City Hall. The city has refurbished the old railway line and converted it into a bike route and pedestrian area. There are several bike hire kiosks along the route and a choice of beaches to visit in either direction from San Remo. The path stretches 24 km (15 mi) between Ospedaletti in the west and San Lorenzo al Mare in the east. [5]
Sanremo experiences a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa).
Climate data for Sanremo (2004–2020) | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 13.3 (55.9) | 13.4 (56.1) | 15.1 (59.2) | 18.0 (64.4) | 21.0 (69.8) | 24.4 (75.9) | 27.0 (80.6) | 27.1 (80.8) | 24.8 (76.6) | 21.2 (70.2) | 17.4 (63.3) | 14.7 (58.5) | 19.8 (67.6) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 10.7 (51.3) | 10.6 (51.1) | 12.3 (54.1) | 15.2 (59.4) | 18.2 (64.8) | 21.7 (71.1) | 24.4 (75.9) | 24.5 (76.1) | 22.0 (71.6) | 18.6 (65.5) | 14.7 (58.5) | 12.0 (53.6) | 17.1 (62.8) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 8.1 (46.6) | 7.9 (46.2) | 9.5 (49.1) | 12.4 (54.3) | 15.3 (59.5) | 19.0 (66.2) | 21.8 (71.2) | 21.8 (71.2) | 19.3 (66.7) | 15.9 (60.6) | 11.9 (53.4) | 9.4 (48.9) | 14.4 (57.8) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 100 (4.0) | 89 (3.5) | 91 (3.6) | 81 (3.2) | 76 (3.0) | 38 (1.5) | 20 (.8) | 43 (1.7) | 56 (2.2) | 110 (4.2) | 97 (3.8) | 79 (3.1) | 880 (34.6) |
Source 1: Climi e viaggi [6] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: Enea, [7] Intellicast [8] |
The Ariston Theatre hosts the celebrated annual Sanremo Music Festival, which has been held in the city since 1951. This festival inspired the Eurovision Song Contest, which started in 1956, and has often been used to select the Italian entry for the European contest. The internationally notable song "Nel blu, dipinto di blu", popularly known as "Volare", was performed at this festival for the first time by Domenico Modugno in 1958. The festival is so popular among Italians that it is often referred to simply 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 in January/February 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 in the second week of August also called Ferragosto.
The culinary specialities of Sanremo and its environs include Sardenara, Focaccia, Focaccia alle Cipolle, Torta Verde, Farinata and Taggiasca olives.
The Sanremo Casino (Casino Municipale di Sanremo) opened in 1905 and has operated continuously since then with the exception of the years of World War II. For much of its history, the casino was tolerated or granted exceptions to Italian gambling laws in order to allow the resort to compete with the casino towns in nearby France and Monaco.
Sanremo hosts an annual poker tournament as part of the European Poker Tour.[ citation needed ] The city is widely accepted as the origin of the five-card stud variant telesina. [9]
The Rallye Sanremo is a rally competition that was part of the FIA World Rally Championship from 1973 to 2003, when it was replaced by Rally d'Italia Sardegna on the island of Sardinia, in hosting the Italian round of the WRC. It is now part of European Rally Championship. Formerly a mixed surface event (tarmac and gravel), the rally has later been an all-tarmac event and takes place around the mountains.
Sanremo is the finish of the classic Milan–San Remo cycle race. It is considered to be a "monument" – one of the five most important one-day races of the cycling season. Milan – San Remo is traditionally held in March and is one of the first major fixtures of the cycling season. It is usually the longest professional one-day race in the cycling season, giving the race a unique character.
The most important local football club is the Sanremese which has played also in Serie B and in Serie C.
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 near Ventimiglia eastwards to Capo Corvo 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.
Menton is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera, close to the Italian border.
San Remo may refer to:
Milan–San Remo, also called "The Spring classic" or "La Classicissima", is an annual road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance of 298 km it is the longest professional one-day race in modern cycling. It is the first major classic race of the season, usually held on the third Saturday of March. The first edition was held in 1907.
Ventimiglia is a resort town in the province of Imperia, Liguria, northern Italy. It is located 130 km (81 mi) west of Genoa, and 7 km (4.3 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's urban area has a population of 55,000.
The province of Imperia is a mountainous and hilly province in the Liguria region of Italy, situated between France to the north and the west, and the Ligurian Sea, an arm of the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Its capital is the city of Imperia.
Andora or Marina di Andora is a town on the Italian Riviera in the region of Liguria, included in the province of Savona.
The Music of Liguria flourished in the 19th century for a number of reasons. The capital city of Genoa, a major port, aspired to recognition as a cultural center more in keeping with its role as a major city in the history of the Risorgimento, the political, social, and military movement that eventually led to the unification of the modern nation state of Italy.
Diano Marina is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Imperia in the Italian region of Liguria, located about 90 kilometres (56 mi) southwest of Genoa and about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) northeast of Imperia.
Ospedaletti is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Imperia in the Italian region of Liguria, located about 120 kilometres (75 mi) southwest of Genoa and about 25 kilometres (16 mi) southwest of Imperia.
Taggia is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Imperia in the Italian region Liguria, located about 110 kilometres southwest of Genoa and about 15 km (9 mi) west of Imperia. It has around 13,000 inhabitants.
Vallebona is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Imperia in the Italian region Liguria, located about 120 kilometres (75 mi) southwest of Genoa and about 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of Imperia. Vallebona borders the following municipalities: Bordighera, Ospedaletti, Perinaldo, San Biagio della Cima, Seborga, Soldano, and Vallecrosia.
The Genova-Ventimiglia railway runs along the coast of the Liguria region of Italy. It was opened as a single track line between Genova and Savona in 1868, and between Savona and Ventimiglia in 1872, mostly running along a coastal corniche.
The Autostrada A10 or Autostrada dei Fiori is an autostrada 158.1 kilometres (98.2 mi) long in Italy located in the region of Liguria connecting Genoa and Ventimiglia to France. It is a part of the E25, E74 and E80 European routes. It connects to the French A8 autoroute, which finishes in Aix-en-Provence.
Imperia Porto Maurizio railway station was one of two stations serving the city and comune of Imperia, in Liguria, northwestern Italy. Opened in 1872, it formed part of the Genoa–Ventimiglia railway, and was situated just over two thirds along the way from Genoa towards Ventimiglia. It was replaced on 11 December 2016, along with Imperia's other former railway station, Imperia Oneglia, 2.2 kilometres (1.4 mi) to the east, by a new inland station, simply named Imperia, situated on a new double-track line replacing the old coastal route.
Imperia is a coastal city and comune in the region of Liguria, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Imperia, and historically it was capital of the Intemelia district of Liguria. Benito Mussolini created the city of Imperia on 21 October 1923 by combining Porto Maurizio and Oneglia, as well as the surrounding village communes of Piani, Caramagna Ligure, Castelvecchio di Santa Maria Maggiore, Borgo Sant'Agata, Costa d'Oneglia, Poggi, Torrazza, Moltedo and Montegrazie.
The Sanremo trolleybus system or San Remo trolleybus system, also known as the Italian Riviera trolleybus, is focused on the town and comune of Sanremo, in the region of Liguria, northwestern Italy.
Bussana is an Italian hamlet (frazione) of the municipality of Sanremo in the Province of Imperia, Liguria. As of 2009, its population was 74. The original Bussana was partly destroyed and abandoned after an earthquake in 1887. The residents founded a new settlement, which is sometimes known as Bussana Nuova.
San Remo railway station was the first station of Sanremo; was closed in 2001 due to the opening of the new double-track of the Genoa-Ventimiglia railway line from San Lorenzo to Bordighera and was replaced by a new station underground.
Grimaldi is a frazione of 281 inhabitants in the municipality of Ventimiglia, in the province of Imperia. It is located near the French border of Ponte San Luigi. The oldest inhabited centre, located at 220 m, takes the name of Grimaldi Superiore, to distinguish it from the houses built along the State Road 1 (SS1) Aurelia, which makes up Grimaldi Inferiore.