Sanremo

Sanremo has Roman origins, it prospered in the Middle Age, when the population moved from the coast to high grounds. The town (named "La Pigna" was walled for protection Saracen raids.

It became a free town in the 15th century. In 1753 it rose against Genoese hegemonical attempts. But Genoa built the fortress of Santa Tecla, situated the port. The fortress still exists. It was used as a prison until 2002. It is now being transformed into a museum.

In 1814, Sanremo was annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia. From the middle of the 18th century, the town grew rapidly, in part due to the development of tourism, which saw the first grand hotels built and the town extended along the coast. Similar to nearby Nice the nobility holidayed here. "Sissi", Empress of Austria, loved Sanremo. Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia and Emperor Nicholas II of Russia spent a winter here. Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel made Sanremo his permanent home.