With something of a paradox, the province of Savona – cradle of Ligurian tourism – has a capital that only recently has entered the catalogue of must-see destinations. The discreet charm of Savona shows in the constant dialogue of sea and mountains, whose echo resounds in the history and traditions of the town, embedded among the Riviera del Beigua, the lovely bays of Bergeggi and Spotorno, and the entroterra of the Val Bormida, beyond the colle di Cadibona.
The junction point between Piedmont and Mediterranean, Savona welcomes visitors with the proud story of its past and the lively tale of its present, effectively narrated by the new tourist vocation of its renovated industrial and port areas. Respect for tradition and knack for innovation peacefully coexist in this dynamic town, whose genius loci has always cherished freedom and independence of thought (and action). The economic and political rivalry with Genoa – the most aggressive and cumbersome of neighbours – dates back to the Punic wars. The Genoese belonging to the revengeful type, the relationship was somewhat tricky. At the half of the 16th century, in order to control the rebel Savonesi, Genoa decreed the construction of the Priamar fortress. The implications were not only symbolical, but also tangible: the oldest part of Savona, the heart of religious and civil power, was razed to the ground to make room for the new building. Nowadays, the Priamar is the keeper of local history. Spaces and architectures have been carefully carefully restored after centuries of transformations and interventions. Military stronghold, prison, industrial settlement: nowadays the fortress is a head-of-the-list cultural centre, the seat of events, concerts, exhibitions and museums: do not miss the Museo Archeologico, dedicated to the history of the town, and the Collezione d’Arte Sandro Pertini, the Ali Baba cave of contemporary art. The strategic position of the Priamar is on full display from its terraces and esplanades, which offer the bluest of landscapes.
The medieval vivacity of Savona has left evident traces in the urban layout. A few metres from the Priamar, the entry to the historical centre is picketed by beautiful towers: do not miss the torre del Brandale (13th century) – “beheaded” by the Genoese and restored in the 1930’s – and its Campanassa bell, and the square torre di Leon Pancaldo, whose Madonnina has been protecting the docks for centuries from its tiny niche. Along the coast, the magnificent palazzo Ferrero Grassi Lamba Doria is a 16th century dwelling (the result of the incorporation of earlier buildings) with superb frescoes and stately rooms, now the seat of the Chamber of Commerce.
Turn your back to the sea and enter the maze of the old city, breathe the lively atmosphere of Savona’s mercantile, maritime and artisanal past. Via Pia and its numberless side alleys are the seat of a magic treasure hunt among stone portals, decorated façades, churches, oratories and harmonious loggias. Palazzo della Rovere effectively represents the splendour of the 15th and the 16th centuries, a golden age that saw the flourishing of art and literature.
Savona is also known as the “town of the three Popes”: backwards through time Pio VII (imprisoned during Napoleonic times in the Santuario della Misericordia, a few kilometres inland) and the two Della Rovere: Giulio II (Michelangelo’s Pope) and Sisto IV - this last built the Cappella Sistina, a jewel siding the 16th century Duomo of Santa Maria Assunta and the interesting Museo del Tesoro della Cattedrale.