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.
Apropos of museums, a rapid walk will take you to Palazzo Gavotti, a prestigious building housing the Pinacoteca Civica and the Fondazione Milani, devoted to contemporary art. Novelist Milena Milani has generously donated her collection (international art of the XX century) to her hometown to celebrate the memory of Carlo Cardazzo, died in the sixties.
Having satisfied your craving for culture and history, you will surely feel like caring for more epicurean appetites. Get to the lungomare, cross the little blue drawbridge and reach the pleasant restaurants and gourmand haunts of the Darsena. The ideal place for a gastronomic break, this area is a memento of local history, from the Genoese 16th century vendetta that caused the destruction of the port to the novelty of the skyscraper overlooking the cruise terminal (Savona has unquestionably got the last laugh…).
The next stage of your exploration, 19th century Savona is a corner of Piedmont in Liguria - the definition deriving from the regular layout of the district. An Art Nouveau atmosphere pervades the porticoes of Via Paleocapa and Piazza Mameli, adorned by the lights of elegant shops and cafés. From the neoclassical façade of the Teatro Chiabrera the way is short to Corso Italia, a nice 19th century boulevard sided by designers’ boutiques.
The whole quarter is the background of a lavish brocante that three times a year attracts trouvaille enthusiasts and exhibitors from North Western Italy, exalting the theatricality of Savona.
Cross the Letimbro and complete your visit with a stroll along the seaside promenade of Fornaci, where neat stabilimenti balneari evoke the bygone charm of the Belle Epoque and the contemporary recognition of the FEEE Blue Flag...