Visit Ventimiglia
Located at the western end of Liguria, a few kilometers from the French border, in an enviable position natural (between the Italian “Riviera” and the Cote d'Azur), Ventimiglia has long been a popular tourist destination, with an interesting historic center.
Among the religious buildings of the city and of considerable interest is the Romanesque cathedral of Ventimiglia, dating from the XI-XIII centuries. In the Baptistery (XII century) you can admire the “Madonna with Child” by Barnaba da Modena (1328-1386).
Other buildings of considerable value in Ventimiglia are the Public Palace, of medieval origin, the Loggia of the Magistrate of Abundance or Parliament, the Opera and the Oratorio di San Secondo. In the old town stands the church of San Francesco, which was built by the Counts of Ventimiglia in the tenth century as a family chapel. Fully rebuilt after the World War II, it retains its Romanesque structure of the eleventh century. Originally it had three aisles while the apse, nave and bell tower were added in the 13th century. The Romanesque crypt is the most attractive, because it was built with columns of various marbles from as far afield as Egypt.
Near the Church of San Michele, situated on the ancient route of the Roman road that led to Provence, we find the former Municipal Theater that today houses the 'Aprosiana' Municipal Library, named for its founder, Angelic Aprosio (1607-1681), an erudite Augustinian monk born in Ventimiglia. The “Aprosiana” Library was the the first public library in Liguria, with several thousand volumes, codes, and an important collection of Greek and Roman coins.
Among the many gates into the city in Ventimiglia, all well preserved, note the Canarda gate built around the twelfth century, which provided a westward access to the walled city. Below it passed the old road leading from Rome to Provence and Spain, the “Via Julia Augusta”. On the Tower of Gothic style, restored by Sir T. Hanbury (1832-1907), lies a plaque indicating some of the illustrious men that visited the city, such as Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1627) and Charles V (1500-1558).
The port is defended by the tower above, with a double row of slits on the outside. On the west side the gate is surmounted by two arches, the gap that separates them is the machicolation through which the defenders, protected inside the tower, dropped rocks and boiling oil on those who wished to undermine their defences. On the outer arch there is carved a lion on a tower, holding a cross. The inner side of the gate is protected from the sea by a wall with loopholes with views of the nearby French Riviera. The fort, built in the early 19th century, offers one of the most beautiful view of the “Riviera dei Fiori”. The construction was part of a complex defensive system, and it was connected with walkways and underground to the Fort St. Paul above.
A museum in Ventimiglia exhibits the remains of ancient “Albintimilium”, ie. glass, perfume containers, tableware, paterae, cups, glasses, clay figurines depicting gods and heroes, votive lamps of burial, a Roman lapidar with 50 inscriptions, 16 marble busts of the early Imperial age, sculptures of Hanbury’s collection (statues, texts, reliefs, sarcophagi). Among the most prestigious pieces are a cup with wheel cut decoration, depicting a triton with marine motifs of the third century AD and a druggist bottle from the end of the first century AD.
Festivities and cuisine
During the summer in Ventimiglia we can watch the parade, and the “Battle of Flowers”, a traditional parade that takes place during the months of June and July. This is also a good opportunity to try the local cuisine, such as the “pesto”, a cake prepared with chickpea flour, water, salt and olive oil, known as "barbagiuai" (fried ravioli and stuffed with pumpkin and cheese) and the “pisciadela”, a pizza or a focaccia with tomatoes, anchovies, olives and garlic. Among the local wines, be sure to try the Rossese and Vermentino.
See also history of Ventimiglia and visit the nearby Villa Hanbury.