Albenga ( lij, Arbenga; la, Albingaunum) is a city and ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' situated on the

Gulf of Genoa The Gulf of Genoa (''Golfo di Genova'') is the northernmost part of the Ligurian Sea. This Italian gulf is about wide from the city of Imperia in the west to La Spezia in the east. The largest city on its coast is Genoa, which has an important p ...

on the

Italian Riviera The Italian Riviera or Ligurian Riviera ( it, Riviera ligure; lij, Rivêa lìgure) is the narrow coastal strip in Italy which lies between the Ligurian Sea and the mountain chain formed by the Maritime Alps and the Apennines. Longitudinall ...

in the

Province of Savona The province of Savona ( it, provincia di Savona; Ligurian: ''provinsa de Sann-a'') is a province in the Liguria region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Savona, which has a population of 61,219 inhabitants. The province has a total populatio ...

in Liguria, northern Italy. Albenga has the nickname of ''city of a hundred spires''. The economy is mostly based on tourism, local commerce and agriculture. Albenga has six

hamlets A hamlet is a human settlement that is smaller than a town or village. Its size relative to a parish can depend on the administration and region. A hamlet may be considered to be a smaller settlement or subdivision or satellite entity to a lar ...

Lusignano Lusignano (or ''lüxignan'' in Ligurian (Romance language), Ligurian) is a hamlet (place), hamlet in the municipality of Albenga, in the province of Savona, Italy. It is located about 4 km from the town of Albenga in a narrow strip of plain ...

, San Fedele, Campochiesa, Leca,

Bastia Bastia (, , , ; co, Bastìa ) is a commune in the department of Haute-Corse, Corsica, France. It is located in the northeast of the island of Corsica at the base of Cap Corse. It also has the second-highest population of any commune on the is ...

Salea ''Salea'' is a genus of arboreal, slow-moving, diurnal, insectivorous, egg-laying agamid lizards endemic to the Western Ghats of South India. It has two species, each inhabiting very high mountainous tracts of the Western Ghats in the Shola ...

History

Albenga was founded around the 4th century BC on the slopes of the coastal hill. Albenga used to be the capital of the

Ingauni The Ingauni were a Celto-Ligurian tribe dwelling on the Mediterranean coast, around the modern city of Albenga (Liguria), during the Iron Age and the Roman period. Name They are mentioned as ''Ingauni'' by Livy (late 1st c. BC), ''Ingaunoi'' ...

a Ligurian tribe. The Ingauners were sailors traders and they owned a large territory between Finale and

Sanremo Sanremo (; lij, Sanrémmo(ro) or , ) or San Remo is a city and comune on the Mediterranean coast of Liguria, in northwestern Italy. Founded in Roman times, it has a population of 55,000, and is known as a tourist destination on the Italian Rivie ...

. During the

Second Punic War The Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC) was the second of three wars fought between Carthage and Rome, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean in the 3rd century BC. For 17 years the two states struggled for supremacy, primarily in Ital ...

the town of Albenga was allied with the

Carthaginians The Punic people, or western Phoenicians, were a Semitic people in the Western Mediterranean who migrated from Tyre, Phoenicia to North Africa during the Early Iron Age. In modern scholarship, the term ''Punic'' – the Latin equivalent of the ...

, but was defeated by the

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

under proconsul

Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus (c. 229 – 160 BC) was a two-time consul of the Roman Republic and a general who conquered Macedon, putting an end to the Antigonid dynasty in the Third Macedonian War. Family Paullus' father was Luci ...

in 181 BC. The following year the Romans and the Ingauni signed a ''foedus'' (alliance agreement) which started the total

Romanization Romanization or romanisation, in linguistics, is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and ...

of the whole region. Put under Latin rights in 89 BC, ''Albingaunum'' was granted Roman citizenship in 45 BC under

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

, starting to enjoy, with the beginning of the Empire, a period of prosperity. A further boost for the city came from the building of the

Via Julia Augusta The Via Julia Augusta (modern Italian Via Giulia Augusta) is the name given to the Roman road formed by the merging of the Via Aemilia Scauri with the Via Postumia. The road runs from Placentia (modern Piacenza) to Arelate (modern Arles), initial ...

(13 BC), linked with southern France and Spain. In the meantime the intense exploitation of the flat land around the city continued; an inscription records the restoration of the walls, forum, and harbor, by Constantius in A.D. 354. During the 5th century, the city suffered from raids by the

Visigoth The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is kno ...

s, who partly destroyed and looted Albenga. The old Municipium, which now is in disastrous conditions, was rebuilt through the intervention of emperor

Constantius III Constantius III was briefly Western Roman emperor of the West in 421. He earned his position as Emperor due to his capability as a general under Honorius, achieving the rank of ''magister militum'' by 411. That same year, he suppressed the r ...

who gave the city stability and a defensive structure that allowed the town to survive through the following centuries. Albenga established itself as a

medieval municipality In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire an ...

in 1098; in that same year Albenga joined to the

First Crusade The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Islamic ru ...

with its own banner, troops and money, receiving the rights of free trade by the King of Jerusalem. From that time on, the Golden Red Cross flag was displayed on its own ships and towers. Later on, after the invasion of northern Italy by emperor

Frederick Barbarossa Frederick Barbarossa (December 1122 – 10 June 1190), also known as Frederick I (german: link=no, Friedrich I, it, Federico I), was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death 35 years later. He was elected King of Germany in Frankfurt on ...

, the city supported him and joined to

Ghibelline The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, rival ...

coalition which was never abandoned during the following centuries. In 1159 Albenga received the imperial investiture for all its territory. In 1798 Albenga was declared capital of the Centa Jurisdiction, as part of the short living constitution of the

Ligurian Republic The Ligurian Republic ( it, Repubblica Ligure, lij, Repubbrica Ligure) was a French client republic formed by Napoleon on 14 June 1797. It consisted of the old Republic of Genoa, which covered most of the Ligurian region of Northwest Italy, and ...

. In 1815 the city, together with the whole

Liguria Liguria (; lij, Ligûria ; french: Ligurie) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is ...

, was assigned to the Savoia ( the Italian Royal family) and became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia. The town was the head city of the new province of Albenga. The new district was formed with all municipalities from Andora and Finale Ligure including the country side . In 1863, after the

unification of Italy The unification of Italy ( it, Unità d'Italia ), also known as the ''Risorgimento'' (, ; ), was the 19th-century Political movement, political and social movement that resulted in the Merger (politics), consolidation of List of historic stat ...

, the province was reduced to a district, and was abolished completely in 1927. In this time Albenga was reduced to an agricultural village, overtaken by other coastal towns in both economic and demographic development. Albenga wasn't a popular holiday destination like other towns in the Italian Riviera.

The name

The name of Albenga comes from the Latin ''Albíngaunum'' that comes from ''Album Ingaunum'', that it means the capital city + genitive plural in -um. The ethnonym Ingauni ( Ingauners) consists of Indo-European origin, and a name of Gaulish-ligurian land. ''Album'' comes from ''alb'' o ''alp'' an ancient pre-Indo-European (rock, hill), often erroneously associated to "album" a Latin word meaning white or clear. The first name was Album Ingaunum, but when it was conquered by the Romans, the name became ''Albingaunum''; after the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...

the name became ''Albinauno'' and near the 1000 became ''Albingano''. Only in the 14th century the name has become ''Albenga''.

Geography

left, upGrazing sheep in the Centa riverbed Albenga is located in the western coast of the Italian Riviera. It has a homonymous plain at the mouth of the river Centa, which over the centuries has been the architect of the Albenga's plain, remodeling the ground several times and forcing the Albenga people to adopt embankments and bridges since its foundation. Up to the 17th century, Albenga based its economy on maritime trade, as the city was built on the mouth of the river Centa and it was surrounded by walls and bridges. During the time the river Centa has changed its natural path. When Albenga was annexed to the Republic of Genoa, the Republic chose to bury the port to punish the rebel city and stop any possible rebellion and like natural event. Nowadays the river flows along the city centre flowing to the mouth river. Even the memory of the old bridges was deleting itself. Albenga is the main city of the district ''Albenganese'', which extends from Finale to

Andora Andora ( lij, Andeua), or Marina di Andora, is a town on the Italian Riviera in the region of Liguria, included in the province of Savona. Geography and climate Andora is situated in the western part of the Italian Riviera between Capo Mele i ...

and all countryside. The Gallinara island is included into this district. Apparently in the island used to live St. Martin of Tours. In the island there is a monastery dedicated to the saint. Since 1064 the island has become propriety of the abbey of

Abbadia Alpina Abbadia Alpina (formerly Abadia); Piedmontese: La Badia Occitan: L'Abaia) is a former commune of the Province of Turin in north-west Italy's Piedmont region, located between the torrents (intermittent streams) Lemina and Cusone. Before 1864, it w ...

Climate

The climate is mild along the coast, with mild winters and warm summers, hardly ever summers are very hot because the coast is mitigated by the sea breeze. The countryside of the plain of Albenga has got more continental characteristics: winters are colder and the summer is hotter than the sea part.

Main sights

Built on the ancient orthogonal structure that had the current "Via Medaglie d'oro" and "Via Enrico d'Aste" respectively as the Roman camp main road axes (

cardo A cardo (plural ''cardines'') was a north–south street in Ancient Roman cities and military camps as an integral component of city planning. The cardo maximus, or most often the ''cardo'', was the main or central north–south-oriented street ...

and decumanus), the town has its planimetric hub in the historical San Michele Square. Around it some palaces were built, which were historically the seats of political and religious authorities.

Cathedral of St Michael Archangel

Built on the basic structures of the early Christian basilica put up by orders of

between the 4th and 5th century, it has a façade with traces of the transformation from Romanesque to Gothic. From this same period are the two lateral portals of the main facade and a third one the left side of the church, that hosts a restored Lombard bas-relief; the central portal dates from 1669. The current design is the result of further elevations. The restoration works between 1964 and 1967 brought back the cathedral design to its original medieval aspect. The nearby steeple was attached to the church in the 13th century, built over the ruins of the old bell tower between the years 1391 and 1395. This construction is one of the last local examples of the use of bare bricks, progressively replaced by plastering. Albenga-IMG 0352

Albenga Baptistery

The baptistery is located to the side of the cathedral, as it was typical of the early Christian structures, and can be visited from the Loggia of the old City Hall Palace. It has an octagonal interior dating to the 5th century. The current appearance dates from a late 19th-century restoration work, carried on by Alfredo D'Andrade. During those works, the original basin vaulted roof, built with the Byzantine-

Ravenna Ravenna ( , , also ; rgn, Ravèna) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 408 until its collapse in 476. It then served as the cap ...

te technique of the "tubi fittili" (terracotta tubes), was completely destroyed. The mosaic decorations of the vault of the presbytery go back to the 5th and 6th centuries.

Old City Hall Palace

Dating back to the early 14th century, it has undergone several renovations over the years before receiving its present appearance. It housed the Council Hall (the big bell still calls the citizens when the council committee meets in the new town hall) and the jail. The lower floor dates from the 14th century, while the upper one was reconstructed in 1387–1391. The façade towards the baptistery has Ghibelline-style merlons with two large staircases. Since 1933, it houses the Ingauni Museum. The latter, established in 1933 by Nino Lamboglia, collects objects and medieval Roman (sculptures, inscriptions, sarcophagi and 15th-century frescoes), archaeological and epigraphic collections.

Old Bishop's Palace

Located near the baptistery, it dates from the 11th century, with a 13th-century portal. It is the seat of the local bishop and houses the Holy Art Museum. The wing leading to the baptistery show several construction phases from the 13th and 14th centuries. The decoration with black and white stripes was added in 1463 under bishop Napoleone Fieschi. The heraldic fresco is by Giovanni Canavesio (1477). The Diocesan Museum of Albenga occupies a series of rooms decorated with frescoes, it houses works of art and findings from the excavation of the cathedral. Among the paintings stand out a ''St. John ''attributed to

Caravaggio Michelangelo Merisi (Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi) da Caravaggio, known as simply Caravaggio (, , ; 29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610), was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the final four years of hi ...

and ''The Martyrdom of Saint Catherine'' by

Guido Reni Guido Reni (; 4 November 1575 – 18 August 1642) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, although his works showed a classical manner, similar to Simon Vouet, Nicolas Poussin, and Philippe de Champaigne. He painted primarily religious ...

Ancient remains

Restructured by Emperor Augustus in 13 BC, the

was the most important communication link in the Italian Riviera until the construction of the Napoleonic situated close to the sea; the current site of the Via Aurelia. Its path, with plenty of Roman buildings destined to funerary celebrations, makes an archaeological walk beautiful also from a panoramic and naturalistic point of view. Albenga is also home to the remains of a

Roman amphitheatre Roman amphitheatres are theatres – large, circular or oval open-air venues with raised seating – built by the ancient Romans. They were used for events such as gladiator combats, ''venationes'' (animal slayings) and executions. About List of ...

dating from the 3rd century BC. It represents the only example of theatrical construction knowns on the entire Western part of the Italian Riviera. Albenga is placed to a short distance from the Amphitheatre and the Via Julia Augusta. The funeral monument is called the ''Pilone'', standing over the eastern slope of the Mount. This is the most renowned and characteristic Ingauner funeral monument. Also in the mount area is the Palaeo-Christian Basilica of S. Calocero (4th–5th century). It has built on the latter martyr's tomb. Other archaeological side and interest points are: *South of the historical center is an archaeological area discovered during the excavations for the enlargement of the river banks between 20and 2002. Here, by the river, were found the ruins of the old thermal system and the early Christian site with the medieval San Clemente Church. *Pontelungo ("Long Bridge"), a medieval water main (c. 13th century). The Sanctuary of Nostra Signora di Pontelungo (early 18th century) is located close . *Palazzo Peloso Cepolla (16th century). It has got a corner tower since the 13th century. The entrance hall houses a fresco depicting the Roman usurper

Proculus Proculus (died c. 281) was a Roman usurper, one of the "minor pretenders" according to ''Historia Augusta'', who would have taken the purple against Roman Emperor, Emperor Marcus Aurelius Probus, Probus in 280. This is now disputed. Probably Proc ...

, while the

piano nobile The ''piano nobile'' (Italian for "noble floor" or "noble level", also sometimes referred to by the corresponding French term, ''bel étage'') is the principal floor of a palazzo. This floor contains the main reception and bedrooms of the hou ...

has got several Renaissance and Roman marble busts. It is home of the Roman Naval Museum, established in 1950. It shows more than a thousand Roman amphorae recovered from a ship in the 1st century BC, sank in the waters of Albenga. It was the first Roman cargo ship discovered and explored the bottom of the Ligurian Sea. There is also a section regarding the caves of prehistoric materials from val Pennavaira. *Torre Oddo, a tower with typical Ghibelline merlons *The ''piazzetta dei Leoni'' ("Lions' Square"), situated between the cathedral's apse and the Costa's family medieval buildings. The latter brought the three Renaissance-style

peperino Peperino is an Italian word describing a brown or grey volcanic tuff, containing fragments of basalt and limestone, with disseminated crystals of augite, mica, magnetite, leucite, and other similar minerals. The name originally referred to the da ...

lions from which the square has taken its name in 1608. * Museum of the Oil Civilization. Located in an old mill site owned by the family Sommariva, it is an ethnographic exhibition dedicated to the processing of olives, olive oil and wine.

Tourism

Besides being an important historical town, Albenga is a coastal and touristic resort town of the Italian Riviera. The coast of Albenga has a length of some 4 km (2.48 miles) of fine sand mixed with pebbles, with bathing establishments. The coast is divided in small public beaches and other managed and fully beach equipped ran by private entrepreneurs. The sea promenade is long 3 km (1.86 miles) The private island of

Gallinara Gallinara or Isola d'Albenga is a small private island that lies in the Ligurian Sea off the coast of Albenga in the Province of Savona, Liguria, northern Italy. It is known for its unique shape, resembling a turtle. Etymology the name comes from ...

is less than one naval mile from Albenga. Isola Gallinara-regione Monti

Educations

Albenga is home to the following secondary schools: * Professional Institute of Agriculture and the Environment " Domenico Aicardi". * State Industrial Technical Institute "

Galileo Galilei Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642) was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a polymath. Commonly referred to as Galileo, his name was pronounced (, ). He was ...

". * Scientific High School "

Giordano Bruno Giordano Bruno (; ; la, Iordanus Brunus Nolanus; born Filippo Bruno, January or February 1548 – 17 February 1600) was an Italian philosopher, mathematician, poet, cosmological theorist, and Hermetic occultist. He is known for his cosmologic ...

with attached classical section"

Giovanni Pascoli Giovanni Placido Agostino Pascoli (; 31 December 1855 – 6 April 1912) was an Italian poet, classical scholar and an emblematic figure of Italian literature in the late nineteenth century. Alongside Gabriele D'Annunzio, he was one of the great ...

"*Educational Diocesan" * "

Redemptoris Mater ''Redemptoris Mater'' (Latin: ''Mother of the Redeemer'') is an encyclical by Pope John Paul II delivered on March 25, 1987 in Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. Subtitled ''On the Blessed Virgin Mary in the life of the Pilgrim Church'', the text ad ...

" Diocesan School Center, high-school with classic section and socio-psycho-pedagogical *'' Diocesan Seminary'' historic institution that for centuries, along with Palazzo Oddo, has educated citizens. Currently active in the modern home built by Angelo Cambiaso and active in the education of future priests of the diocese. The Higher Institute of Religious Studies (often abbreviated ISSR) is a university that promotes the study and scientific research on religion.

Typical dishes

Local delicacies include: * Purple Asparagus *

zucchini The zucchini (; plural: zucchini or zucchinis), courgette (; plural: courgettes) or baby marrow (''Cucurbita pepo'') is a summer squash, a vining herbaceous plant whose fruit are harvested when their immature seeds and epicarp (rind) are stil ...

trumpet *

artichoke The globe artichoke (''Cynara cardunculus'' var. ''scolymus'' ),Rottenberg, A., and D. Zohary, 1996: "The wild ancestry of the cultivated artichoke." Genet. Res. Crop Evol. 43, 53–58. also known by the names French artichoke and green articho ...

* beefsteak tomato * The biscuits with fennel seeds, called in local dialect '' Baxin d'Arbenga'' ("Kiss of Albenga") * The extra virgin olive oil Taggiasca * enoese Pesto* The "caviar" of Centa *

Farinata Farinata (), socca (), torta di ceci (), or cecina () is a type of thin, unleavened pancake or crêpe made from chickpea flour. It originated in Italy and later became a typical food of the Ligurian Sea coast, from Nice to Sardinia and Elba isla ...

, a type of unleavened pancake or crêpe made from chickpea flour * Fritters of Bianchetti * Focaccia Genoese a type of Italian flatbread * Ciappe oil *

olives The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' 'M ...

Taggiasca in brine * Peaches with

Pigato Pigato is a white Italian wine grape planted primarily in Liguria. The grape is found in the Riviera di Ponente zone in Italy's region of Liguria which makes sturdy, aromatic wines with plenty of fruit. DNA evidence proves that Pigato, Vermenti ...

Drinks include: * White wines

Vermentino Vermentino is a light-skinned wine grape variety, primarily found in Italian wine. It is widely planted in both Sardinia and Liguria, to some extent in Corsica, in Piedmont under the name Favorita, and in increasing amounts in Languedoc-Roussillo ...

and Lumassina * The red wines Ormeasco and Rossese * Grappa with

and

bitter orange Bitter orange, Seville orange, bigarade orange, or marmalade orange is the citrus tree ''Citrus'' × ''aurantium'' and its fruit. It is native to Southeast Asia and has been spread by humans to many parts of the world. It is probably a cross bet ...

* Liquor violet

asparagus Asparagus, or garden asparagus, folk name sparrow grass, scientific name ''Asparagus officinalis'', is a perennial flowering plant species in the genus ''Asparagus''. Its young shoots are used as a spring vegetable. It was once classified in ...

Main Events

* ''Palio dei Rioni Ingauni'': Fourth July weekend, a festival regarding the four neighbourhood of the old town: St. Giovanni, St. Eulalia, San Siro and Santa Maria; all contender are wearing medieval dresses. * '' Celebration of Madonna di Pontelungo '': on 2nd July with the religious procession, stalls and fireworks; * '' Green Night'': The first Saturday of September, a festival called la notte verde ( the green night) because the town is decorated with plants, flowers and vegetables; * '' Albenga Flower'': spring flower festival in the old town of Albenga; * ''Sagralea'': A big festival regarding the Wine Pigato and other quality wines of the

in the last week of August at the hamlet of Salea. This event is included in "Road of Wine and Oil";Rassegna del Vino Pigato
/ref> * ''Festival Du Burgu'': it takes place in the hamlet of

in the last week of August; * ''Festival du Michettin'': in the locality of San Giorgio, a festival regarding the local dish called Michettin in Ligurian dialect (pan fritto in italian and bread fried in English); * '' Celebration of

Saint Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...

'': Albenga celebrates its saint patron on 29th September; * '' Celebration of

Saint Lucia Saint Lucia ( acf, Sent Lisi, french: Sainte-Lucie) is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. The island was previously called Iouanalao and later Hewanorra, names given by the native Arawaks and Caribs, two Amerindian ...

'': Felt celebration for southern Italy emigrants on 13th December; * ''Diocesan Gathering brotherhoods'': The first Sunday in September, where for the occasion the fraternities of Diocese of Albenga-Imperia gather marching in procession with their insignia and artistic crucified. * '' National Piano Competition "Città di Albenga It takes place 27th–30th December; * ''Apple House Party''Apple House Party Official Site
/ref> * '' Festival of music and play "Head On"'': a prestigious festival that features national artists; * '' Trophy National Albingaunum'': National Award for the Literature; * ''Trophy of Wood Slingshot'': Particular trophy invented and organized by "fieui of Caruggi". It consists to give a reward to someone he has shot a good slingshot. The slings is just a metaphor; the trophy is a reward for everyone has done something to help and defend people in difficulties.

Notable residents

(died 281), Roman usurper * Saint

Martin of Tours Martin of Tours ( la, Sanctus Martinus Turonensis; 316/336 – 8 November 397), also known as Martin the Merciful, was the third bishop of Tours. He has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints in France, heralded as the ...

(316–397), who has spent four years of hermit life in the island

* Saint

Veranus of Cavaillon Saint Veranus of Cavaillon (french: Véran, ''Vrain''; it, Verano) (died c. 590) was a French saint, with a cultus in Italy. He was born at Vaucluse and was bishop of Cavaillon. Gregory of Tours writes of miracles performed by Veranus, includi ...

(515–590), the remains are venerated in Cathedral of St. Michael Archangel *

Madame de Genlis Madame may refer to: * Madam, civility title or form of address for women, derived from the French * Madam (prostitution), a term for a woman who is engaged in the business of procuring prostitutes, usually the manager of a brothel * ''Madame'' ( ...

(1746–1830), she came from Lusignano (Albenga hamlet) and she wrote Adèle et Théodore * Gianmario Roveraro (1936–2006), banker founder of Banca Akros and former

athlete An athlete (also sportsman or sportswoman) is a person who competes in one or more sports that involve physical strength, speed, or endurance. Athletes may be professionals or amateurs. Most professional athletes have particularly well-devel ...

. He was first Italian athlete to exceed 2 m in

high jump The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...

.. Roveraro participated in Games of the XVI Olympiad in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

Renato Curcio Renato Curcio (; born 23 September 1941) is the former leader of the Italian far-left organization, the Red Brigades (''Brigate Rosse''). Early life Born of an extramarital affair between Renato Zampa (brother of film director Luigi Zampa) and Jol ...

(1941), Former terrorist, publisher writer Italian writer, he is one of the founders of

Red Brigades The Red Brigades ( it, Brigate Rosse , often abbreviated BR) was a far-left Marxist–Leninist armed organization operating as a terrorist and guerrilla group based in Italy responsible for numerous violent incidents, including the abduction ...

Giampiero Ventura Gian Piero Ventura (; born 14 January 1948) is an Italian football manager. His playing career as a midfielder was spent in the lower leagues, having not made the grade at Sampdoria, where he began his coaching career with the youth team in 1976 ...

(1948), Professional football manager, Ventura used to be football manager of the Italian national team of football. He has started his career like football manager with the Albenga Football. *

Ezio Madonia Ezio Madonia (born 7 August 1966) is a retired Italian sprinter who specialized in the 100 metres, that won ten medals with the national relay team at the International athletics competitions and three at individual level. He is the coach of Lu ...

(1966),

sprinter, he has participated in the Games of the XXIV Olympiad in

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

in 1988 and the

Games of the XXVI Olympiad The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

in 1996

Transport and Infrastructure

Roads

Albenga is crossed by

Via Aurelia The ''Via Aurelia'' (Latin for "Aurelian Way") 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 Cl ...

, which connects Rome to France. This road used to pass through the city center alongside the old town of Albenga. In 1960 was built an alternative road which has made possible to move all traffic outside from Albenga. The city is crossed by main road, built over the past centuries, which connects with the close

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

region. For this reason is called as ''Piedmont road''. There are five roads in the world called with the name ALBENGA: four are in North America and one in the Southern Hemisphere. They are: Albenga Avenue Coral Gables, Florida; Albenga Road Northwest to Palm Bay, Florida; Southwest Albenga Avenue Port Saint Lucie, Florida; Albenga Lane in North Port, Florida and Albenga Place to Secret Harbor, Western Australia.

Highway

Albenga is accessible via the A10 motorway. Since 1969 has started the process regarding the project for a road that can unite the plain directly and quickly with the

Val Bormida Val may refer to: Val-a Film * ''Val'' (film), an American documentary about Val Kilmer, directed by Leo Scott and Ting Poo Military equipment * Aichi D3A, a Japanese World War II dive bomber codenamed "Val" by the Allies * AS Val, a Sov ...

, which it will be able to link directly Albenga to the Piedmont region, going straight to France and to Northern Europe. This project is called the Predosa-Albenga motorway; in 2010 has been kicked off for the final design.

Railway

Albenga has its own railway station, located on the line Genoa-Ventimiglia. The station has been opened in 1872, but the existing train station was rebuilt by architect Roberto Narducci in 1930. The existing railway system has got one single track. In the new project regarding the new railway system, it will across the countryside instead of the existing one which is crossing the coast. The new railway system will be replaced by a new double track line. According with the new railway system the train station will be in the hamlet of Bastia.

Airport

In the close village of

Villanova d'Albenga Villanova d'Albenga ( lij, Villanêuva d'Arbenga) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Savona in the Italian region Liguria, located about southwest of Genoa and about southwest of Savona. Villanova d'Albenga borders the following ...

there is the Airport International "C. Panero", which has opened in 1922. Into the airport there is also the garrison of the'' 15 º Helicopters unit of''

Carabinieri The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign polic ...

(Italian gendarmerie).

Twin towns

* Dabas, Hungary (2004)

References

External links

Official website

Albenga in Riviera Ligure

{{authority control Roman sites of Liguria Italian Riviera Cities and towns in Liguria Towers in Italy Second Punic War