Savona

Access

Access to the municipality is easy thanks to the two motorways, the railway station that connects it directly with Genoa and the main centres in Liguria and northern Italy, and the provincial road network. The port of Savona is also a major passenger and tourist terminal, while the nearest Ligurian airport is Genoa, some 35 km away.

Introduction

Savona is the main town on the Riviera di Ponente, located in western Liguria, capital of the province of the same name and the region's third largest municipality by population. Its territory is strategically located at the mouths of the Letimbro and Quiliano streams, surrounded by hills and overlooking the Ligurian Sea, at the intersection of two major motorway arteries: the Autostrada dei Fiori (Genoa-Ventimiglia) and the Savona-Turin. The municipal surface area is 65.32 km², the main altitude is 4 m above sea level and the population is around 58,504 inhabitants (2022 data).

Description

Savona has an important historical heritage, with the first traces of settlement dating back to the Bronze Age and a first real development under Carolingian rule, when the city became the seat of the Marca of Savona. In 999 the bishopric was established and in 1191 the town became autonomous as a free municipality. During the 13th century it played a key role in the wars between the Guelphs and Ghibellines and was the seat of the imperial fleet; from 1251 it came under Genoese rule. Legends and hypotheses on the etymology of the name are still preserved in local tradition, including a possible Ligustic or Celtic origin linked to water and river settlements. Also known as the 'City of the Popes', Savona was the birthplace of Sixtus IV and Julius II, the city's great benefactors; according to some sources it is also the birthplace of Christopher Columbus.

The urban landscape is characterised by historic buildings, including the Priamar fortress, the heart of the medieval town, and the Cathedral of the Assumption. Savona offers a typical Mediterranean climate, with summers that are not excessively hot and winters that are mitigated by its proximity to the sea but subject to occasional cold winds and snowfall, especially when the tramontana wind is dark. The city port is one of the main tourist and commercial ports in northern Italy.

Traditions, culture and gastronomy are distinctive features of modern Savona. The city is famous for its historic production of soap, which has been appreciated since the Middle Ages, and for a local cuisine that emphasises fish, olive oil and the products of the land. Festivals, patronal festivals and cultural events are held annually, rooted in an ancient and varied history.