Andora
Encyclopedia
Andora, or Marina di Andora as it is often called, is a town on the Italian Riviera
in the region of Liguria
, included in the province of Savona
.
. To the west is the Riviera dei Fiore (Riviera of Flowers), which stretches from the French
border to Cervo
. Andora had a population of 7,638 in 2008 ISTAT date which swells to almost 10 times this in the summer months.
The original town is situated on a low hill by the left bank of the River Merula where it flows into the sea. Marina di Andora is the development which spread along the coastline from the Middle Ages onwards, first as a fishing and boatbuilding center, then in the last 50 years as a tourist resort. It is 55 km from Savona
, the main town in the province, 15 km from Imperia, 40 km from Sanremo
and 100 km from Genoa
. The territory forms part of the Mountain Community of Ingauna. Some of the parishes belonging to Andora include Conna, Colla Micheri
, San Bartolomeo, San Pietro, Stellanello
and Rollo.
with the Phocaeans escaping from Asia Minor
. During the Roman Empire
, Castrum Andorae underwent substantial development due to its strategic location on the Via Julia Augusta. After the invasion by the Goths
in 951 it formed part of the Marca Alemanica and from 1091 passed to Bonifacio di Vasto. From 1125 the Clavesana family took over and constructed a defensive fortification, mainly to control the means of communication, and enhanced the town with towers, churches and town walls. Due to war the family had to sell the territory and its castle
in 1252 to the Republic of Genoa
initiating a period of five centuries of peace. In this period olive
trees were grown and olive oil
produced, fishing
was practiced and boat building begun. At the end of the 18th century the area became under the control of Napoleon Bonaparte
in the new department of Montenotte
. It later fell to the rule of Sardinia
and then Italy
.
From a population of 1,940 in 1861 it grew to 3,328 in 1961 to 6,068 in 1981 and by 2001 had reached 6,767.
Castle which was once home to the governor of Genoa
. Just opposite is the chapel of St Nicholas and ruins of some medeviel houses. The church of St James and St. Phillip, which is based on the cathedral
in Albenga
, was built in local stone with columns and pillars in late Romanesque style
. A little further down the hill is the castle tower which was built between 1220 and 1240 and still remains intact.
A bridge on the River Merula with 10 arches is called the Roman Bridge but it was actually built in the Middle Ages
on the site of a pre-existing older structure.
The San Giovanni Battista St. John the Baptist church, on the right bank of the river near the mediaeval bridge, dates back to the 15th century in the parish of the same name. The complex of old houses further up the hill, Borgata Confredi, was built to house the workers of the olive terraces nearby. From San Giovanni you can still walk along the track of the mediaeval road to Cervo.
In the center of Marina di Andora you can still see the bastion built in the 11th Century as a defense against the Saracens; it now now houses a pizzeria.
On the way to Laigueglia
is the Capo Mele Lighthouse
.
, canoeing
, surfing
, kite surfing and windsurfing
. A diving club Sport 7 is based in the marina
and the sailing and canoeing club to the east of the port.
It has a marina with over 850 moorings, mainly for local boat owners, but 56 places are reserved for tourists in transit to the area. Whale
watching trips depart in the summer from the marina.
Apart from water sports there are bowls
clubs, tennis
clubs and horse riding
stables at San Pietro. The area is popular for hiking
and mountain biking
. The Parco delle Farfalle has a roller skating
rink and there is a cycling velodrome
in the center.
Concerts are held in the summer in the outdoor arena at the Parco delle Farfalle as well, in the town centre and in the historic setting of the medieval St James and St Phillip Church. There is also an open air cinema in the summer months.
The festival of St. Rita on 22 May in the Piazza Santa Rita (St. Rita's Square) near the sea. Rose
s are blessed in the chapel dedicated to the saint. It is followed closely by the locals who have strong religious belief in her.
The festival of St John the Baptist
on 24 June is marked by religious festivities and a sagra, a gathering of the local people in the grounds of the church with an outdoor food and wine festival to raise funds for the local community.
The Beer
Festival at the end of June is one of the most popular events in Andora with visitors coming from the north of Italy with live music and a disco in the outdoor arena near the beach.
Several regatta
s for various categories of sailing craft mainly in the summer months.
A monthly antiques market is held in the town centre and it is bear sick.
Rollo hosts a Festival of Aromatic Herbs for a weekend at the end of June.
A festival to relive the 11th century Invasion of the Saracens is held in Laigueglia in August. The villagers dress up and re-enact the invasion, ending with a fireworks display.
thanks to it having one of the largest stretches of sandy beach in the western Italian Riviera
. In the summer the population reaches 70,000 due to the numerous villas and holiday homes. Most visitors come from Piedmont
, Lombardy
and the Aosta Valley as well as from overseas.
It also is an agricultural town with fields of basil
grown to make the world famous pesto
sauce, fruits, vegetables, olives for oil and vineyards.
. There is an exit for Andora on the A10 motorway between Ventimiglia
and Genoa.
There is a railway station on the Genoa–Ventimiglia line.
There are buses to Sanremo
in the west, and to Finale Ligure
in the east.
The nearest airport
s are Genoa GOA Cristforo Colombo and Nice NCE Côte d’Azur.
Italian Riviera
The Italian Riviera, or Ligurian Riviera is the narrow coastal strip which lies between the Ligurian Sea and the mountain chain formed by the Maritime Alps and the Apennines...
in the region of Liguria
Liguria
Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and good food.-Geography:...
, included in the province of Savona
Province of Savona
The Province of Savona is a province in the Liguria region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Savona.-Overview:...
.
Geography and climate
Andora is also situated in the western part of the Italian Riviera between Capo Mele in the east and Capo Mimosa in the west. This coastal area is called the Riviera delle Palme (Riviera of Palms), which is centred on SavonaSavona
Savona is a seaport and comune in the northern Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea....
. To the west is the Riviera dei Fiore (Riviera of Flowers), which stretches from the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
border to Cervo
Cervo
Cervo is a small, ancient town and comune, built on top of a hill along the Italian Riviera in the province of Imperia, 1,200 inhabitants.-Overview:Originally, it was, in Roman times, a mansion along the Via Julia Augusta...
. Andora had a population of 7,638 in 2008 ISTAT date which swells to almost 10 times this in the summer months.
The original town is situated on a low hill by the left bank of the River Merula where it flows into the sea. Marina di Andora is the development which spread along the coastline from the Middle Ages onwards, first as a fishing and boatbuilding center, then in the last 50 years as a tourist resort. It is 55 km from Savona
Savona
Savona is a seaport and comune in the northern Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea....
, the main town in the province, 15 km from Imperia, 40 km from Sanremo
Sanremo
Sanremo or San Remo is a city with about 57,000 inhabitants on the Mediterranean coast of western Liguria in north-western Italy. Founded in Roman times, the city is best known as a tourist destination on the Italian Riviera. It hosts numerous cultural events, such as the Sanremo Music Festival...
and 100 km from Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
. The territory forms part of the Mountain Community of Ingauna. Some of the parishes belonging to Andora include Conna, Colla Micheri
Colla Micheri
Colla Micheri is a medieval village in the Liguria region of north-west Italy. It is a frazione of the comune of Andora, in the province of Savona.-Geography:The village lies directly above the seaside town of Laigueglia...
, San Bartolomeo, San Pietro, Stellanello
Stellanello
Stellanello is a comune in the Province of Savona in the Italian region Liguria, located about 80 km southwest of Genoa and about 45 km southwest of Savona....
and Rollo.
History
The first settlement here dates back to the 8th century BC8th century BC
The 8th century BC started the first day of 800 BC and ended the last day of 701 BC.-Overview:The 8th century BC was a period of great changes in civilizations. In Egypt, the 23rd and 24th dynasties led to rule from Nubia in the 25th Dynasty...
with the Phocaeans escaping from Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
. During the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, Castrum Andorae underwent substantial development due to its strategic location on the Via Julia Augusta. After the invasion by the Goths
Goths
The Goths were an East Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin whose two branches, the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths, played an important role in the fall of the Roman Empire and the emergence of Medieval Europe....
in 951 it formed part of the Marca Alemanica and from 1091 passed to Bonifacio di Vasto. From 1125 the Clavesana family took over and constructed a defensive fortification, mainly to control the means of communication, and enhanced the town with towers, churches and town walls. Due to war the family had to sell the territory and its castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in 1252 to the Republic of Genoa
Republic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
initiating a period of five centuries of peace. In this period olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
trees were grown and olive oil
Olive oil
Olive oil is an oil obtained from the olive , a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps...
produced, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
was practiced and boat building begun. At the end of the 18th century the area became under the control of Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
in the new department of Montenotte
Montenotte
Montenotte was a département of the First French Empire in present Italy. It was named after the village Montenotte near Savona to commemorate the Battle of Montenotte in 1796. It was formed in 1805, when Napoleon Bonaparte occupied the Republic of Genoa. Its capital was Savona. It was divided into...
. It later fell to the rule of Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
and then Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
From a population of 1,940 in 1861 it grew to 3,328 in 1961 to 6,068 in 1981 and by 2001 had reached 6,767.
Main sights
There is a historical nucleus on a hill inland around the remains of the ClavesanaClavesana
Clavesana is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km south of Turin and about 30 km northeast of Cuneo...
Castle which was once home to the governor of Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
. Just opposite is the chapel of St Nicholas and ruins of some medeviel houses. The church of St James and St. Phillip, which is based on the cathedral
Albenga Cathedral
Albenga Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to Saint Michael in the city of Albenga, in the province of Savona and the region of Liguria, Italy...
in Albenga
Albenga
Albenga is a city and comune situated on the Gulf of Genoa on the Italian Riviera in the Province of Savona in Liguria, northern Italy.left|thumb|220px|Towers of Albenga.The economy is mostly based on tourism, local commerce and agriculture-History:...
, was built in local stone with columns and pillars in late Romanesque style
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
. A little further down the hill is the castle tower which was built between 1220 and 1240 and still remains intact.
A bridge on the River Merula with 10 arches is called the Roman Bridge but it was actually built in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
on the site of a pre-existing older structure.
The San Giovanni Battista St. John the Baptist church, on the right bank of the river near the mediaeval bridge, dates back to the 15th century in the parish of the same name. The complex of old houses further up the hill, Borgata Confredi, was built to house the workers of the olive terraces nearby. From San Giovanni you can still walk along the track of the mediaeval road to Cervo.
In the center of Marina di Andora you can still see the bastion built in the 11th Century as a defense against the Saracens; it now now houses a pizzeria.
On the way to Laigueglia
Laigueglia
Laigueglia is a town and comune in the province of Savona, in Liguria .220px|left|thumb|Aerial view of Laigueglia in the 1970s.Nearby is the Capo Mele Lighthouse....
is the Capo Mele Lighthouse
Capo Mele Lighthouse
Capo Mele Lighthouse is a lighthouse in northwestern Italy. It is located on Capo Mele, on the border of the comunes of Andora and Laigueglia in the Province of Savona in Liguria.- History :...
.
Tourism and recreation
Andora is a popular holiday resort thanks to the long sandy beach and the historical hinterland. Since 1986 Andora has held the Bandiera Blu award for clean waters and beaches. Accommodations include hotels, bed and breakfast establishments and camp sites. There are public and private lidos offering services such as sunbed, hire, etc. Various water sports are practised including sailingSailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
, canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
, surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
, kite surfing and windsurfing
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
. A diving club Sport 7 is based in the marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
and the sailing and canoeing club to the east of the port.
It has a marina with over 850 moorings, mainly for local boat owners, but 56 places are reserved for tourists in transit to the area. Whale
Whale
Whale is the common name for various marine mammals of the order Cetacea. The term whale sometimes refers to all cetaceans, but more often it excludes dolphins and porpoises, which belong to suborder Odontoceti . This suborder also includes the sperm whale, killer whale, pilot whale, and beluga...
watching trips depart in the summer from the marina.
Apart from water sports there are bowls
Bowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
clubs, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
clubs and horse riding
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
stables at San Pietro. The area is popular for hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
and mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
. The Parco delle Farfalle has a roller skating
Roller skating
Roller skating is the traveling on smooth surfaces with roller skates. It is a form of recreation as well as a sport, and can also be a form of transportation. Skates generally come in two basic varieties: quad roller skates and inline skates or blades, though some have experimented with a...
rink and there is a cycling velodrome
Velodrome
A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...
in the center.
Concerts are held in the summer in the outdoor arena at the Parco delle Farfalle as well, in the town centre and in the historic setting of the medieval St James and St Phillip Church. There is also an open air cinema in the summer months.
Events
Sale e pesce (salt and fish) in May is a two day gastronomic festival celebrating Andora and its commercial activity through two aspects of its territory: the earth and the sea.The festival of St. Rita on 22 May in the Piazza Santa Rita (St. Rita's Square) near the sea. Rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
s are blessed in the chapel dedicated to the saint. It is followed closely by the locals who have strong religious belief in her.
The festival of St John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
on 24 June is marked by religious festivities and a sagra, a gathering of the local people in the grounds of the church with an outdoor food and wine festival to raise funds for the local community.
The Beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
Festival at the end of June is one of the most popular events in Andora with visitors coming from the north of Italy with live music and a disco in the outdoor arena near the beach.
Several regatta
Regatta
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
s for various categories of sailing craft mainly in the summer months.
A monthly antiques market is held in the town centre and it is bear sick.
Rollo hosts a Festival of Aromatic Herbs for a weekend at the end of June.
A festival to relive the 11th century Invasion of the Saracens is held in Laigueglia in August. The villagers dress up and re-enact the invasion, ending with a fireworks display.
Economy
The main economic activity of Andora is based on beach tourismTourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
thanks to it having one of the largest stretches of sandy beach in the western Italian Riviera
Italian Riviera
The Italian Riviera, or Ligurian Riviera is the narrow coastal strip which lies between the Ligurian Sea and the mountain chain formed by the Maritime Alps and the Apennines...
. In the summer the population reaches 70,000 due to the numerous villas and holiday homes. Most visitors come from Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
, Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
and the Aosta Valley as well as from overseas.
It also is an agricultural town with fields of basil
Basil
Basil, or Sweet Basil, is a common name for the culinary herb Ocimum basilicum , of the family Lamiaceae , sometimes known as Saint Joseph's Wort in some English-speaking countries....
grown to make the world famous pesto
Pesto
Pesto is a sauce originating in Genoa in the Liguria region of northern Italy , and traditionally consists of crushed garlic, basil and pine nuts blended with olive oil and Parmigiano Reggiano and Fiore Sardo...
sauce, fruits, vegetables, olives for oil and vineyards.
Transport
Andora is on the coast road the Via AureliaVia Aurelia
The Via Aurelia was a Roman road in Italy constructed around the year 241 BC. The project was undertaken by C. Aurelius Cotta, who at that time was censor...
. There is an exit for Andora on the A10 motorway between Ventimiglia
Ventimiglia
Ventimiglia is a city and comune in Liguria, northern Italy, in the province of Imperia. It is located southwest of Genoa by rail, and 7 km from the French-Italian border, on the Gulf of Genoa, having a small harbour at the mouth of the Roia River, which divides the town into two parts...
and Genoa.
There is a railway station on the Genoa–Ventimiglia line.
There are buses to Sanremo
Sanremo
Sanremo or San Remo is a city with about 57,000 inhabitants on the Mediterranean coast of western Liguria in north-western Italy. Founded in Roman times, the city is best known as a tourist destination on the Italian Riviera. It hosts numerous cultural events, such as the Sanremo Music Festival...
in the west, and to Finale Ligure
Finale Ligure
Finale Ligure is a comune on the Gulf of Genoa in the Province of Savona in Liguria, Italy. It is considered part of the Italian Riviera.-Geography:...
in the east.
The nearest airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s are Genoa GOA Cristforo Colombo and Nice NCE Côte d’Azur.