HISTORY

With Vado and Ventimiglia , Alassio is one of three Roman centres of Ponente Ligure: it still mantains best preserved civic centre in spite of several past transformations and works.
Even before Romans arrival Alassio was Capital of Liguri Ingauni with the name of Albium Ingaunun.
The Roman Castrum, founded between 90 and 80 a.C., took the name of Albingaunum and prospered until Third Century d.C.
After Barbarians and Moors invasions, Alassio flourished again from XI Century, participating to first Crusade in Terrasanta as Comune; the independence finished in second half of XIII Century, when the centre definitely became controlled by Republic of Genoa; anyway for almost 100 years remained rich and prosperous.
Remind us of these periods Roman tracks on hill “del Monte”, the V Century Paleochristian baptistery (which still keeps part of original mosaic), the Ancient Palazzo of Town Hall with civic tower, the Cathedral, the Episcopal Palazzo, the tracks of 1300 towers which decorated main Alassio streets; special attention deserve the Church of Leoni and 1600-1700 nobility palaces.

THE MUSEUMS

Everything in Baia del Sole reminds of History, Legend, Art and Culture: prehistoric tracks, Roman monuments, Romanic monuments, Baroque arts, frescos in the churches.
Then museums rich of finds and ancient tracks (well-known the Shipping one in Alassio), Gallinara and Torsero natural parks, Moors ruins and British architectures completely fit in Mediterranean nature.

Civic Museum Ingauno
Diocesean Museum
Roman Shipping Museum
Prehistoric Museum

LA GALLINARA ISLAND

La Gallinaria or Gallinara is at one nautical mile from Alassio coast, in front of river Centa mouth.
The name comes from Romans, who called it in this way for the presence in the island of several wild hens.
Always important point of reference of shipping navigation, the island was chosen as hermitage by San Martino of Tours around year 357 to escape persecutions (the tradition recognizes still today his first dormitory in a little cave on the rocks).
In V Century there was the first convent group, situated in highest point of island: a little church, a surrounding wall and the monks residence.
In the course of time the power of abbey became greater: monks owned Alassio, S.Maria in Fontibus , S. Calocero and S. Martino sul Monte in Alassio.
In XII Century started the decadence: in 1400 the abbey was reduced to commenda, managed before by Costa and then directly by Alassio Bishop, who sold it to private citizens in 1842; from then La Gallinara passed through several properties, suffering often speculations.
In 1989 was definitely recognized regional Natural Park.

Today of Middle Age monuments remain only some tracks: walls foundations and a big sighting tower built in XV Century from Republic of Genoa, which take place next to the Villa containing ancient abbey and the New Gothic church dedicated in 1912 to S. Martino of Tours.

CAVES OF TOIRANO OF BORGIO VEREZZI

These caves represent most important speleological itinerary, because of their corridors, little lakes, the bears cemetery and the prehistoric hunters’ tracks.