Bordighera

If tourism began anywhere in Liguria it must have been Bordighera. The exiled patriot in England Giovanni Ruffini introduced the English to the charms of the Western Riviera in the nineteenth century when setting the story of his successful novel "Il Dottor Antonio" in the city of palms. Since then Bordighera has become one of the most prestigious international holiday destinations. The Ligurian Ingauni tribe were the first inhabitants of the area. In Roman times, it was crossed by the Via Julia Augusta.

Legend tells that the Anchorite Sant'Ampelio brought some date stones here from Egypt in 411 AD, which then grew into the characteristic palm trees: mixing in with the olive trees, pine trees and the typical Mediterranean plants and shrubs, the palms create a unique scenic effect, almost an oriental corner in the heart of Liguria. Sant'Ampelio lived in a cave by the sea on the spot where a small church was later built (and can still be seen) together with a castle that was destroyed by the Genoese in the fourteenth century. The town is divided into two parts: the fortified mediaeval part and the nineteenth-century extension. There are many things to be seen: the Town Hall building with its works by artists from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the fountain and statue of Magiargé, which tell a moving story of love, the tower-houses and the many signs left by all of the famous people who have stayed there, including Margherita of Savoy (her villa is splendid), Monet and Dickens.

The seventeenth-century parish church of Santa Maria Maddalena, with a fine bell tower made from a tower taken from another building, holds the relics of Sant'Ampelio, the patron saint of the town. Nearby you can go for long walks through the lush vegetation of the parks and gardens: the Beodo path, the gardens of Moreno and Lowe and the exotic Pallanca garden. The international public library was founded at the beginning of the twentieth century thanks to a donation made by English tourists.

The leisure harbour can hold up to 280 boats. The very recent sports centre has a multi-purpose sports area, a five-a-side football pitch and two swimming pools.