Albenga
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By Dion Protani
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Latest update: 6 January 2023
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The historic town of Albenga is located within the Province of Savona and has a population of 24,091 inhabitants. Covering an area of 36 km², it's situated on the Riviera di Ponente, 95 kilometres south west of Genoa, the regional capital of Liguria.
Albenga offers something quite different to the neighbouring towns along the delightful coastal area; it does have its own beach but the main attraction here is the medieval walled city which contains important historic monuments such as the 5th century Baptistery, the cathedral and a series of medieval towers. |
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Founded around the 4th century BC, the town's original name was Album Ingaunum which the conquering Romans later changed to Albingaunum before it eventually became shortened to the present-day Albenga. During the Punic Wars Albenga sided with the Carthaginians while much later, a long-lasting allegiance was formed with the Ghibelline faction in the wars against the Guelphs.
Much of Albenga's prosperity during the Middle Ages was based around maritime trade; much of that trade flowed inland along the River Centa which empties out into the Ligurian Sea by Albenga's beaches. At one time, Albenga had a formidable port by the town centre but the combination of the port silting up and the success of the nearby Republic of Genoa saw the town reduced to something of a backwater in later years.
Modernity has taken hold in the area that surrounds Albenga's medieval centre; the bustling Piazza del Popolo straddles the area where old meets new with the beach a 15 minute walk away to the east while the city walls to the west offer something quite different. Piazza del Popolo shows a grand archway opening to one of the medieval streets but just to the right of that is the open entrance to Via Enrico d'Aste which is the main thoroughfare in the old quarter.
As soon as you take your first steps on Via Enrico d'Aste you can start to understand why you came to Albenga in the first place. The medieval walls are dripping with character and supplanted by a series of historic monuments. The beautiful, striped facade of Santa Maria in Fontibus is just a taster before you reach Albenga Cathedral with its frescoed ceilings a few steps further ahead. The 11th century Romanesque Cathedral is accompanied by a 14th century Gothic campanile (bell tower). The fully-named Cattedrale di San Michele stands proud at the top of the town's central square: Piazza San Michele.
Looking up from the centre of Piazza San Michele you'll see a cluster of three towers side by side. The first tower from left to right is the Torre Comunale which protrudes from the Palazzo Comunale, the modern-day town hall. The middle tower of the cluster of three is the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio which stands behind the Palazzo Comunale at the base of which is the 15th century Loggia Comunale, built in 1421. The third of the trio of towers is the aforementioned campanile, the Cathedral bell tower which can be climbed for the best possible views of Albenga's townscape. The three towers each have an epithet: the campanile is known as Preghiera as the cathedral is the home of prayer, Governo is the name of the Torre Comunale which forms part of the governmental complex and the Palazzo Vecchio tower is nicknamed Giustizia, relating to justice. Further context can be given to this neighbouring cluster of buildings by visiting the Civico Museo Ingauno which displays a variety of exhibits including ceramics, mosaics and sculptures dating back to Roman times.
The beautiful Piazza San Michele isn't finished there; aside from the little collection of bars, restaurants and shops around the square, at the opposite end to the Cathedral is another beautiful building, this time belonging to the Renaissance period. The 17th century Palazzo Peloso Cepolla is now home to the Museo Navale Romano, the Roman Naval Museum whose exhibits include an incredible collection of Roman Amphorae among other artefacts.
Perhaps the star of Albenga's historic show is the 5th century Baptistery; it can be accessed via the narrow street that separates the Cathedral from the Palazzo Vecchio tower. Thought to be the sole remaining example of early Christian architecture in the Liguria region, the fascinating building is constructed with a ten-sided outer-wall which becomes an octagon in the interior, the walls of which are decorated with frescoes and mosaics. You can freely walk around the exterior of the Baptistery but to enter inside a ticket to the Museo Diocesano e Battistero Paleocristiano is required which costs €5 and includes access to the small museum within the same complex.
Aside from the monuments detailed above, Albenga's narrow streets offer their own intrigue and deserve some extended exploration. One of the main streets is Via delle Medaglie d'Oro which runs on a north-east to south-west axis before exiting the medieval area of the town via an archway. Taking any of the alleyways that lead off the main streets is sure to lead you to another historic sight such as the Piazza dei Leoni just behind the Cathedral, so-named after the three stone statues of lions that were brought to Albenga from Rome in 1608.
An effective visit to Albenga requires at least half a day and there are plenty of places to refresh oneself ones the exploration gives way to hunger and fatigue. There is also of course the beach which is ideal for that very purpose. From Piazza del Popolo it's a 15 minute walk all the way to the beach but just seven minutes along the same route to reach the train station.
Trains run south-west from Albenga along the coast to the town of Ventimiglia on the international border with France, a journey of an hour. The train stops along the way at a who's who of the Riviera di Ponente's best seaside towns with Alassio the first up after 7 minutes followed by stops at Diano Marina (19 minutes), Imperia (27 minutes), Arma di Taggia (37 minutes), Sanremo (44 minutes) and Bordighera (53 minutes). The northbound train reaches Savona in 51 minutes, stopping at a similar number of enticing towns such as Borghetto Santo Spirito (9 minutes), Loano (14 minutes), Pietra Ligure (23 minutes) and Finale Ligure (31 minutes).
The whole region is also very easy to visit by car; most of the coastal towns, including Albenga, are very close to the E80/A10 motorway, also known as the Autostrada dei Fiori which runs for 150 kilometres from the French border along the Ligurian coast to Genoa. The closest airport to Albenga is Genoa Christopher Columbus Airport which is an hour and 15 minutes away by train or a few minutes extra by car and a distance of 88 kilometres.
Much of Albenga's prosperity during the Middle Ages was based around maritime trade; much of that trade flowed inland along the River Centa which empties out into the Ligurian Sea by Albenga's beaches. At one time, Albenga had a formidable port by the town centre but the combination of the port silting up and the success of the nearby Republic of Genoa saw the town reduced to something of a backwater in later years.
Modernity has taken hold in the area that surrounds Albenga's medieval centre; the bustling Piazza del Popolo straddles the area where old meets new with the beach a 15 minute walk away to the east while the city walls to the west offer something quite different. Piazza del Popolo shows a grand archway opening to one of the medieval streets but just to the right of that is the open entrance to Via Enrico d'Aste which is the main thoroughfare in the old quarter.
As soon as you take your first steps on Via Enrico d'Aste you can start to understand why you came to Albenga in the first place. The medieval walls are dripping with character and supplanted by a series of historic monuments. The beautiful, striped facade of Santa Maria in Fontibus is just a taster before you reach Albenga Cathedral with its frescoed ceilings a few steps further ahead. The 11th century Romanesque Cathedral is accompanied by a 14th century Gothic campanile (bell tower). The fully-named Cattedrale di San Michele stands proud at the top of the town's central square: Piazza San Michele.
Looking up from the centre of Piazza San Michele you'll see a cluster of three towers side by side. The first tower from left to right is the Torre Comunale which protrudes from the Palazzo Comunale, the modern-day town hall. The middle tower of the cluster of three is the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio which stands behind the Palazzo Comunale at the base of which is the 15th century Loggia Comunale, built in 1421. The third of the trio of towers is the aforementioned campanile, the Cathedral bell tower which can be climbed for the best possible views of Albenga's townscape. The three towers each have an epithet: the campanile is known as Preghiera as the cathedral is the home of prayer, Governo is the name of the Torre Comunale which forms part of the governmental complex and the Palazzo Vecchio tower is nicknamed Giustizia, relating to justice. Further context can be given to this neighbouring cluster of buildings by visiting the Civico Museo Ingauno which displays a variety of exhibits including ceramics, mosaics and sculptures dating back to Roman times.
The beautiful Piazza San Michele isn't finished there; aside from the little collection of bars, restaurants and shops around the square, at the opposite end to the Cathedral is another beautiful building, this time belonging to the Renaissance period. The 17th century Palazzo Peloso Cepolla is now home to the Museo Navale Romano, the Roman Naval Museum whose exhibits include an incredible collection of Roman Amphorae among other artefacts.
Perhaps the star of Albenga's historic show is the 5th century Baptistery; it can be accessed via the narrow street that separates the Cathedral from the Palazzo Vecchio tower. Thought to be the sole remaining example of early Christian architecture in the Liguria region, the fascinating building is constructed with a ten-sided outer-wall which becomes an octagon in the interior, the walls of which are decorated with frescoes and mosaics. You can freely walk around the exterior of the Baptistery but to enter inside a ticket to the Museo Diocesano e Battistero Paleocristiano is required which costs €5 and includes access to the small museum within the same complex.
Aside from the monuments detailed above, Albenga's narrow streets offer their own intrigue and deserve some extended exploration. One of the main streets is Via delle Medaglie d'Oro which runs on a north-east to south-west axis before exiting the medieval area of the town via an archway. Taking any of the alleyways that lead off the main streets is sure to lead you to another historic sight such as the Piazza dei Leoni just behind the Cathedral, so-named after the three stone statues of lions that were brought to Albenga from Rome in 1608.
An effective visit to Albenga requires at least half a day and there are plenty of places to refresh oneself ones the exploration gives way to hunger and fatigue. There is also of course the beach which is ideal for that very purpose. From Piazza del Popolo it's a 15 minute walk all the way to the beach but just seven minutes along the same route to reach the train station.
Trains run south-west from Albenga along the coast to the town of Ventimiglia on the international border with France, a journey of an hour. The train stops along the way at a who's who of the Riviera di Ponente's best seaside towns with Alassio the first up after 7 minutes followed by stops at Diano Marina (19 minutes), Imperia (27 minutes), Arma di Taggia (37 minutes), Sanremo (44 minutes) and Bordighera (53 minutes). The northbound train reaches Savona in 51 minutes, stopping at a similar number of enticing towns such as Borghetto Santo Spirito (9 minutes), Loano (14 minutes), Pietra Ligure (23 minutes) and Finale Ligure (31 minutes).
The whole region is also very easy to visit by car; most of the coastal towns, including Albenga, are very close to the E80/A10 motorway, also known as the Autostrada dei Fiori which runs for 150 kilometres from the French border along the Ligurian coast to Genoa. The closest airport to Albenga is Genoa Christopher Columbus Airport which is an hour and 15 minutes away by train or a few minutes extra by car and a distance of 88 kilometres.
Comune di Albenga
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Province: Savona
Region: Liguria Population: 23,435 (source: ISTAT 1 January 2023) Size: 37 km² Highlights: Albenga Cathedral, Albenga Baptistery, beach Close by: Alassio, Ceriale, Borghetto Santo Spirito, Laigueglia Recommended accommodation: Ricaroka Hotel |
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