SAVONA | LIGURIA

Discover Savona

Savona is located on the west coast. Today a city with an industrial look, it is rich in history and culture, which is evident from the succession of ancient towns in its province.
Noli, overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea was of fundamental importance in the history of the maritime republics. Del Carretto (known as Guercio) was Henry II’s fiefdom from 1193 until it became a free independent Republic (the fifth among the Italian republics).
The medieval town of Noli is very well preserved, with its thirteenth-century St. Pietro Cathedral, the fourteenth-century Town Hall and the Romanesque church of San Paragorio whose eighth-century structure is still visible. Stay a while at Noli to taste the Tortellasso, a Ligurian pancake enriched by the taste of whitebait.

The road from Noli towards Voze leads onto the Manie plateau with its many paths through forests, passing caves and ancient towns. Among the most intersting hikes is the one through the Panci valley, crossed by the Roman road Via Julia Augusta.
Of great historical interest are the five bridges from Emperor Hadrian’s time.
Other towns to visit are Finalborgo and Sassello.
The first mention of Finalborgo is from 1188. This town has the first Ligurian playhouse, the present-day Aycardi Theatre.

Sassello lies between the Po Valley and the sea. One of the town’s greatest artistic treasures is the interior of the Church of the Holy Trinity with its amazing decorations and frescoes by Bruschetta.
Millesimo, with its small streets and squares magically alternates simple houses with sumptuous squares. On the road from Millesimo to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Desert one enters the Bric Tana Regional Nature Park. Stop to admire the karst formations in the Park and the Valley of the Three Kings.