Bosco delle Ninfe, Ciantagalletto, Ciatti, Cimavalle, ConcaVerde, Galleria Ranco, Madonna del Monte, Maschio, Montemoro, Naso di Gatto, San Bartolomeo al Bosco, San Bernardo in Valle, Santuario
One of the most celebrated former inhabitants of Savona was the navigator
Christopher Columbus, who farmed land in the area while chronicling his journeys.[citation needed] 'Columbus's house', a cottage situated in the Savona hills, lay between vegetable crops and fruit trees. It is one of several residences in Liguria associated with Columbus.[citation needed]
History
Inhabited in ancient times by
Ligures tribes, it came under
Roman influence in
c. 180 BC, after the
Punic wars in which the city had been allied to
Carthage. At the fall of the
Western Roman Empire, it passed under
Lombard rule in 641 AD (being destroyed in the attack) after a short period as an
Ostrogoth and then
Byzantine possession. Later it recovered as county seat in the
Carolingian Empire. In the 10th century its bishops were counts of Savona, but later the countship passed to the marquesses of
Montferrat (981) and afterwards to the marquesses
Del Vasto (1084).
After a long struggle against the
Saracens, Savona acquired independence in the 11th century, becoming a free municipality allied with the Emperor. Savona was the center of religious culture (13th to 16th centuries) due to the work of two important monasteries: Dominican and Franciscan. Subsequently, it fought against
Genoa before being definitively conquered in 1528. The Genoese destroyed the upper town and buried the port. It then shared the fortunes of the Republic of Genoa until
Napoleonic times. In 1809 the city received Pope
Pius VII, prisoner of Napoleon Bonaparte, for a few years. Between April and mid-May 1800, Austrian forces besieged the city while a small British naval force maintained a blockade; the fortress surrendered on 15 May. Subsequently, Savona was annexed to the
Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont (1815). Eventually, it became part of unified Italy.
During the 20th century Savona became a regional industrial hub.
Main sights
Churches
The Cattedrale dell'Assunta (Cathedral of the Assumption), built after Genoese demolition of the old cathedral. It kept the relics of
Saint Valentine.
The Cappella Sistina (Sistine Chapel), adjacent to the cathedral and built 1480–1483, it containing the Mausoleum erected by the Della Rovere
Pope Sixtus IV to honor his parents, Leonardo Della Rovere and Luchina Monleone. The construction was commissioned by
Giovanni D'Aria and his brother Michele. The chapel is architecturally similar to the chapel dedicated to the Cardinal
Pietro Riario in the Basilica of the
Santi Apostoli, Rome. After years of deterioration, in 1765–1767 a reconstruction was ordered by the Genovese Doge
Francesco Maria Della Rovere. This updated the chapel in a
Rococo style, with ceiling painted by
Paolo Gerolamo Brusco. The cathedral has a noteworthy 16th-century carved wooden choir seats.
The church of Nostra Signora di Castello (Our Lady of the Castle) has a large altarpiece by
Vincenzo Foppa and
Ludovico Brea painted in 1490.
The Torre Leon Pancaldo (Leon Pancaldo Tower), built in the 14th century and also known as "Torretta", is the symbol of the town.
The Torre del Brandale (Brandale Tower), also known as Campanassa (Commune tower, where the freedom declaration of Savona was signed in 1191) and towers Corsi and Riario.
The
Priamar fortress, built by the Genoese in 1542 after their conquest of Savona, on the area of the old cathedral and old city and later used as a prison and military prison. In 1830–1831 Giuseppe Mazzini was imprisoned in the fortress and he "dreams" the "Giovine Italia". Inside the fortress there is the Museum Centre of Priamar.
Palaces and others
The Palazzo Della Rovere (Della Rovere Palace), built by Cardinal Giulio della Rovere (future
Pope Julius II) and designed by
Giuliano da Sangallo as a university.
The Palazzo Gavotti (Gavotti Palace), built in the 15th century. Inside the palace there is the Art Museum of Palazzo Gavotti that contains the Pinacoteca of Savona, the artwork of Fondazione Museo di Arte Contemporanea Milena Milani in memoria di Carlo Cardazzo and the Ceramic Museum.
The Palazzo Delle Piane (Delle Piane Palace), an important building in
Liberty style of Savona.
The
Villa Zanelli, an important Liberty-style former residence and hospital.
In neighbourhood of Savona remains a house documented as property of Domenico Colombo, father of Christopher Columbus, where they lived for many years (Christopher Columbus lived in Savona for much of his youth).
The War Memorial, with a marble base and bronze figures, was created by sculptor Luigi Venzano. It was inaugurated on 18 September 1927 and since then every day at 18:00 in Piazza Goffredo Mameli the fallen of all wars are commemorated with 21 tolls of the bell, one for each letter of the Italian alphabet: during the tolling traffic and pedestrians stop as a sign of respect.
The average yearly temperature is around 19 °C (66 °F) during the day and 12 °C (54 °F) at night. In the coldest months: January, February and December, the average temperature is 11 °C (52 °F) during the day and 5 °C (41 °F) at night. In the warmest month – July and August – the average temperature is 28 °C (82 °F) during the day and 20 °C (68 °F) at night. Generally, a typical summer season lasts about 4 to 6 months, from May/June to September/October. The daily temperature range is limited, with an average range of about 7 °C (13 °F) between high and low temperatures. Rain occurs mainly in autumn, the summers being generally dry. Sunshine hours total above 2,097 per year, from an average 4 hours of sunshine duration per day in winter to average 9 hours in summer. Savona usually sees snow once or twice per year.