Chiavari (; ) is a seaside
comune
A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...
(municipality) in the
Metropolitan City of Genoa
The Metropolitan City of Genoa () is a metropolitan city in the region of Liguria in northern Italy. Its capital is the city of Genoa. It replaced the province of Genoa in 2015. It has 67 municipalities (''comuni) in'' an area of and a total p ...
, in
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
.
It has about 28,000 inhabitants. It has a beachside promenade and a marina and is situated near the river
Entella.
[
]
History
Pre-Roman and Roman Era
A pre-Roman necropolis, which dates from the 8th to 7th century BC, has been uncovered in the area where Chiavari is located now.An advanced civilization and a cosmological city could be present at the time of the necropolis.
/ref>
Chiavari grew up on the traces of a Roman camp on the Via Aurelia
The Via Aurelia () is a Roman road in Italy constructed in approximately 241 BC. The project was undertaken by Gaius Aurelius Cotta, who at that time was censor.Hornblower, Simon, & Antony Spawforth. ''The Oxford Classical Dictionary.'' 3rd ...
.
Medieval Era
A castle
A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
was constructed in 1147.[ The old town contains numerous arcades and buildings from the 13th century, including a castle, several mansions, and the nearby Church of San Salvatore di Lavagna, which was founded in 1224 by ]Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV (; – 7 December 1254), born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 June 1243 to his death in 1254.
Fieschi was born in Genoa and studied at the universities of Parma and Bolo ...
.
The cathedral was rebuilt in 1613. Famous as a center of humanism, Chiavari has a public library with a collection of manuscripts and incunabula
An incunable or incunabulum (: incunables or incunabula, respectively) is a book, pamphlet, or broadside (printing), broadside that was printed in the earliest stages of printing in Europe, up to the year 1500. The specific date is essentiall ...
. After the discovery of the conspiracy of the Fieschi, in 1542, and the capture of Chiavari by the Counts of Lavagna
Lavagna is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Genoa, in the Italian region of Liguria.
History and culture
The village, unlike nearby Chiavari which has pre-Ancient Rome, Roman evidence, seems to have developed in Ancient ...
, the town suffered greatly, being associated with the conspirators. Among its illustrious citizens were Luca Cantiano di Moneglia, founder of an art academy, and Giuseppe Gregorio Solari, translator of many Latin poets.
19th century
From 1805 to 1814, Chiavari served as the capital of the short-lived Apennins ''Departments of France'' of the First French Empire
The First French Empire or French Empire (; ), also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. It lasted from ...
. Chiavari is the home of the Chiavari chair designed in 1807 by a local, Giuseppe Gaetano Descalzi. The chair was a success and led to the opening of many factories in Chiavari and surrounding towns.
Chiavari railway station was opened in 1868; it provides an underground passageway between the town centre and the beachside promenades.
20th century
The Colonia Fara building was built in 1935 during the Fascist regime
Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...
.
Sports
In 2014, the local football team Virtus Entella
Virtus Entella, commonly referred to as Entella, is an Italian professional Association football, football club based in Chiavari, Liguria. Founded in 1914, the club currently competes in the .
Entella will play in Serie B 2025/26 after winning ...
were promoted to the Italian Serie B
The Serie B (), officially known as Serie BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 season. It had b ...
for the first time in their history. They were relegated back to the third tier in 2018.
Climate
Notable people
* Nelson le Follet
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Liguria
Coastal towns in Liguria