Savona

For other places with the same name, seeSavona (disambiguation).

Not to be confused withSavonia.

For the infantry division, see55 Infantry Division Savona.

Savona(Italian:[saˈvoːna];Ligurian:Sann-a[ˈsaŋːa])is a seaport andcomunein the west part of the northern Italian region ofLiguria,capital of theProvince of Savona,in the Riviera di Ponente on theMediterranean Sea.Savona is the main center of theItalian Riviera.

Savona Sann-a(Ligurian)
Comune
Comune di Savona
Panorama of Savona
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Savona
Savona Location of Savona in Italy Savona Savona (Liguria)
Coordinates:44°18′29″N08°28′52″E
Country	Italy
Region	Liguria
Province	Savona(SV)
Frazioni	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
Government
• Mayor	Marco Russo(PD)
Area
• Total	65.55 km2(25.31 sq mi)
Elevation	4 m (13 ft)
Population (1 January 2016)
• Total	61,345
• Density	940/km2(2,400/sq mi)
Demonym	Savonesi
Time zone	UTC+1(CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2(CEST)
Postal code	17100
Dialing code	019
Patron saint	Our Ladyof Mercy
Saint day	18 March
Website	Official website

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mercy.

One of the most celebrated former inhabitants of Savona was the navigatorChristopher Columbus,who farmed land in the area while chronicling his journeys.'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.

History

Inhabited in ancient times byLigurestribes, it came underRomaninfluence inc.180 BC, after thePunic warsin which the city had been allied toCarthage.After the fall of theWestern Roman Empire,it passed underLombardrule in 641 AD (being destroyed in the attack), after a short period as anOstrogothand thenByzantinepossession. Later it recovered as a county seat in theCarolingian Empire.In the 10th century its bishops were Counts of Savona, but later the countship passed to the Marquesses ofMontferrat(981) and afterwards to the MarquessesDel Vasto(1084).

After a long struggle against theSaracens,Savona acquired independence in the 11th century, becoming a free municipality allied with theHoly Roman Emperor(similar to afree imperial city). Savona was the center of religious culture (13th to 16th centuries) due to the work of two important monasteries:DominicanandFranciscan.Subsequently, it fought against theRepublic of Genoabefore 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 untilNapoleonictimes. In 1809 the city received PopePius 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 theKingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont (1815). Eventually, it became part of the unifiedKingdom of Italy,now a republic.

During the 20th century Savona became a regional industrial hub.

Main sights

Churches

A map showing the expansion of the Municipality of Savona and Republic of Noli during the 1100s and 1200s. Sources are listed in the image's description.

• TheCattedrale dell'Assunta(Cathedral of the Assumption), built after Genoese demolition of the old cathedral. It kept the relics ofSaint Valentine.
• TheCappella Sistina(Sistine Chapel), adjacent to the cathedral and built 1480–1483, it containing the Mausoleum erected by the Della RoverePope Sixtus IVto honor his parents, Leonardo Della Rovere and Luchina Monleone. The construction was commissioned byGiovanni D'Ariaand his brother Michele. The chapel is architecturally similar to the chapel dedicated to the CardinalPietro Riarioin the Basilica of theSanti Apostoli, Rome.After years of deterioration, in 1765–1767 a reconstruction was ordered by the Genovese DogeFrancesco Maria Della Rovere.This updated the chapel in aRococostyle, with ceiling painted byPaolo Gerolamo Brusco.The cathedral has a noteworthy 16th-century carved wooden choir seats.
• The church ofNostra Signora di Castello(Our Lady of the Castle) has a large altarpiece byVincenzo FoppaandLudovico Breapainted in 1490.
• TheSanctuary of Nostra Signora della Misericordia(Our Lady of Mercy).

Towers and fortress

• TheTorre Leon Pancaldo(Leon Pancaldo Tower), built in the 14th century and also known as "Torretta", is the symbol of the town.
• TheTorre del Brandale(Brandale Tower), also known asCampanassa(Commune tower, where the freedom declaration of Savona was signed in 1191) and towers Corsi and Riario.
• ThePriamar 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

• ThePalazzo Della Rovere(Della Rovere Palace), built by Cardinal Giulio della Rovere (futurePope Julius II) and designed byGiuliano da Sangalloas a university.
• ThePalazzo 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 ofFondazione Museo di Arte Contemporanea Milena Milani in memoria di Carlo Cardazzoand the Ceramic Museum.
• ThePalazzo Delle Piane(Delle Piane Palace), an important building inLiberty styleof Savona.
• TheVilla 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).
• TheWar 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 Alpha bet: during the tolling traffic and pedestrians stop as a sign of respect.

Gardens

• Nemo's Gardenis an underwater cultivationproject based in nearbyNoli,born to face main global issues, such asclimate change,pollution,malnourishmentand hunger.

Geography

The town is situated 40 kilometres (25 miles) west ofGenoaand circa 150 km (93 mi) (east) ofNice,in France, on the westernItalian Riviera,between theLigurian Seaand theLigurian Alps.

Climate

Savona has a borderlinehumid subtropical(Cfa) andMediterranean climate(Csa).

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.

Climate data for Savona
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	10.3 (50.5)	11.6 (52.9)	14.2 (57.6)	17.6 (63.7)	20.9 (69.6)	25.0 (77.0)	28.0 (82.4)	27.8 (82.0)	24.7 (76.5)	20.1 (68.2)	14.7 (58.5)	11.6 (52.9)	18.9 (66.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	4.6 (40.3)	5.2 (41.4)	7.6 (45.7)	10.5 (50.9)	13.8 (56.8)	17.3 (63.1)	20.1 (68.2)	20.0 (68.0)	17.6 (63.7)	13.5 (56.3)	8.6 (47.5)	5.8 (42.4)	12.1 (53.7)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches)	74 (2.9)	79 (3.1)	94 (3.7)	66 (2.6)	71 (2.8)	41 (1.6)	20 (.8)	48 (1.9)	71 (2.8)	110 (4.2)	97 (3.8)	61 (2.4)	830 (32.6)
Source:Enea

Government

See also:List of mayors of Savona

People

Panorama of Savona andPriamar fortress.

Savona, painted by a 19th-century tourist, 1860.

• Paolo Boselli(1838–1932),Prime Minister of ItalyduringWorld War I
• Gianni Baget Bozzo(1925–2009), priest and politician
• Susanna Bonfiglio(born 1974), basketball player
• Carlo Aonzo(born 1967), classical mandolinist and composer
• Giacomo Boselli(1744–1808), Rococo-period sculptor of ceramics
• Elenoire Casalegno(born 1976), actress and TV host
• Luis Fernando Centi(born 1976), footballer
• Gabriello Chiabrera(1552–1638), poet
• Christopher Columbus(c. 1450–1506), explorer
• Enrico Cucchi(1965–1996), footballer
• Renato Dossena(born 1987), footballer
• Giulia Dotta(born 1992), professional dancer
• Fabio Fazio(born 1964), TV host
• Giuseppe Ferrerio(1554–1610), Roman Catholic archbishop
• Luca Ferro(born 1978), footballer
• Nando Gazzolo(1928–2015), actor
• Orazio Grassi(1583–1654), astronomer
• Bartolomeo Guidobono(1654–1709), painter
• Domenico Guidobono(1668–1746), painter
• Pope Julius II(Albisola 1443–1513)
• Michele Marcolini(born 1975), footballer
• Maria Christina of Naples and Sicily(1779–1849), Queen of Sardinia, died in Savona
• Leon Pancaldo(1488 or 1490–1538), explorer
• Christian Panucci(born 1973), footballer
• Sandro Pertini(1896–1990)President of the Italian Republic
• Daniela Poggi(born 1956), actress
• Girolamo Riario(1443–1488), lord of Imola and Forlì and one of the plotters behind the 1478Pazzi conspiracy
• Pietro Riario(1447–1474), cardinal and Papal diplomat
• Della Roverenoble family that flourished in the 15th century
• Annalisa Scarrone(born 5 August 1985), singer and songwriter
• Renata Scotto(1934–2023), opera singer
• Stephan El Shaarawy(born 1992), footballer
• Pope Sixtus IV(Pecorile 1414 – 1484)
• Davide Biale(born 5 April 1994), YouTube personality and bassist

Events

• TheCarnival,with a parade in the centre of the town, the typical costume of Savona is Cicciulin.
• ThePatron saint's festival of Nostra Signora della Misericordia,on 18 March.
• TheHoly Friday,with a spectacular procession in streets of the city which takes place every two years.
• TheSanta Lucia fairin the central street of Via Paleocapa on 13 December.
• TheConfuoco(in local dialectU Confeugu), it takes place the last Sunday before Christmas in the square of Sisto IV.

Sport

Rari Nantes Savonais anaquatic sportsclub, mainly known for its professional men'swater poloteam, which competes uninterruptedly in theSerie A1,the top division of Italian championship, since 1982; the team has been national champion for three times.

Savona FBCis the localassociation footballclub, based at theValerio Bacigalupo Stadium(named afterValerio Bacigalupo). The majority of their history they have oscillated betweenSerie CandSerie D.

Twin towns and sister cities

See also:List of twin towns and sister cities in Italy

Savona istwinnedwith:

• Villingen-Schwenningen,Germany
• Saona,Dominican Republic
• Bayamo,Cuba
• Mariupol,Ukraine

See also

• Corale Alpina Savonese
• Savona Football Club
• Nemo's Garden (Noli)

Sources

This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911). "Savona".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 24 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 248–249.

• Scovazzi, Italo; Filippo Noberasco.Storia di Savona, vicende di una vita bimillenaria(in Italian). Sabatelli.

External links

Media related toSavonaat Wikimedia Commons

• Genoa Airport:: What to see:: Varazze
• Savona Web
• Confraternita di S. Domenico