Finale Ligure is a
comuneIn Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
on the
Gulf of GenoaThe Gulf of Genoa is the northernmost part of the Ligurian Sea. The width of the gulf is about 125 km, from the city of Imperia in the west to La Spezia in the east. The largest city on the its coast is Genoa, which has an important port....
in the
Province of SavonaThe Province of Savona is a province in the Liguria region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Savona.-Overview:...
in
LiguriaLiguria 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:...
,
ItalyItaly , 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...
. It is considered part of the
Italian RivieraThe 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...
.
Geography
Known for its white sand beaches and its views, Finale Ligure is located directly adjacent to the Rock of Caprazoppa, a steep limestone mountain on the southwest, and much of the town extends up hill slopes. The town has a lively commercial district. The boardwalk is lined with palm trees and many restaurants from the adjacent street have located large, open-air dining rooms along it.
The town of Finale Ligure is nominally divided into three "boroughs". Finale Ligure Marina (Finalmarina) is the main seaside part of the town, most frequented by tourists, while Finale Pia (Finalpia) is the traditional center of the town, where a
BenedictineBenedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
abbey still stands. Finalborgo, the third borough and located further inland, consists of an old walled medieval town.
Finale Ligure has furthermore some frazioni: Varigotti, an appreciated and characteristic seaside holiday destination, which was an important port in Roman and Byzantine times; Perti, also an ancient center with Roman and Medieval ruins, up into the
entroterra (interior); Le Manie (
e Magne in local dialect), a plateau partly cultivated, partly left to pine forest and Mediterranean Bush; Gorra, a panoramic hamlet along the steep road to the Alpine forests of Melogno pass; San Bernardino, a recent set of buildings and residences on the top of the hill overlooking Finale Marina.
The territory surrounding Finale is known as "Il Finale", and not "Il Finalese" as sometimes wrongly spelled; it is made up of limestone plateaus and canyons which host a significant biodiversity and important remains of Roman and Medieval times.
History
Caves attesting the presence of human settlements in the area as early as the
NeolithicThe Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
age have been found. During the
Roman timesAncient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, the burgh of Finale was known as
Ad Fines ("On the Border"), as it marked the boundary between two of the main
LigurianThe Ligures were an ancient people who gave their name to Liguria, a region of north-western Italy.-Classical sources:...
tribes: the
Sabatii in the east, and the
Intemelii in the west.
In Roman times the area hosted a road and post station named
Pollupex (Pollupice, in Italian) along the
via Julia AugustaThe Via Julia Augusta is the name given to the Roman road formed by the merging of the Via Aemilia Scauri with the Via Postumia. The road runs from Placentia to Arelates through Derthona , Vada Sabatia , Albingaunum and Album Intimilium .It was begun in 13 BC by Augustus, and originally stopped...
; it is supposed that it was situated where nowadays the
frazioneA frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...
of Calvisio stands. Important was in those times also the port of
Varicottis (Varigotti), now interred, as were the fortifications in Perti (
Castrum Perticae, active to the Middle Ages), later integrated in the Byzantine limes against the Ostrogoths and
LombardsThe Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
.
The first document citing the town is from 967, when it was included in the Marca Aleramica created by
Emperor Otto IOtto I the Great , son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duke of Saxony, King of Germany, King of Italy, and "the first of the Germans to be called the emperor of Italy" according to Arnulf of Milan...
. Later a possession of Bonifacio Del Vasto, it was inherited by the Del Carretto who made it the base of a powerful Marquisate which they enlarged absorbing the neighbouring fiefs, and which raised the hostility of the
Republic of GenoaThe 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....
. After various disputes, in 1385 the Del Carretto were compelled to cede most of their lands to the Genoese; their rule was however not well accepted, and a true war ensued in 1447-1448, which ended with a Genoese victory.
In 1496 Alfonso I Del Carretto obtained the investiture of the whole marquisate by Emperor
Maximilian IMaximilian I , the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky...
, alter confirmed by
Charles VCharles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
. In 1558, however, the misgovernment of Alfonso II Del Carretto created attrition with the population, with the encroachment of Genoa, which claimed new lands from the Emperor. The Spanish governor of
MilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
therefore occupied Finale in 1571, and the town passed under the Spanish rule in 1602.
The Marquisate was acquired by the Republic of Genoa in 1713, being confirmed in the possession by the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle of 1748. The town became part of the
Kingdom of SardiniaThe Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
in 1815 and of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. At that time the Finale area was divided in several small
Comuni: Finalborgo, Finalmarina, Finalpia, Gorra, Perti, Calvisio, Varigotti. Between 1869 and 1877, a time of administrative reforms, only the three Finales survived after swallowing their smaller neighbors amidst recriminations. It was the
Fascist regimeItalian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...
, bent on creating wider
Comuni, to eventually unify these townships in the Comune of Finale Ligure in 1927.
Immigration
http://www.comuni-italiani.it/009/029/statistiche/stranieri.html - Demografic Stats
- Number of immigrants at 2009 (the first five for nationality)
-
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: 177
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Main sights
- Castel Gavone, the former seat of the Del Carretto Marquesses. It was allegedly built by the Enrico II Del Carretto in 1181. Destroyed during the struggles with 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....
, it was rebuilt in 1451-1452. In 1715 it was largely dismantled by the Genoese after their conquest of the Marquisate.
- Castello Vuillermin, a castle dating from the early 20th century which is now converted into a youth hostel. It sits on the mountains directly above the town.
- Basilica of St. John the Baptist (1619–1675), with two bell tower from 1762.
- Church of Santa Maria di Pia, rebuilt in 1725-1728. It houses works from the 16th century and has a 13th century bell tower.
- Church of San Biagio, rebuilt in 1630-1650. It has maintained an octagonal tower from the 15th century.
- Church of Sant'Eusebio, with parts in Romanesque
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,...
style. Noteworthy are the Gothic apse and the 11th century crypt.
- Church of Sant'Antonino, with a 12th century crypt.
- Church of San Bartolomeo apostolo, in the frazione of Gorra. It has a Gothic bell tower with three floors of mullion
A mullion is a vertical structural element which divides adjacent window units. The primary purpose of the mullion is as a structural support to an arch or lintel above the window opening. Its secondary purpose may be as a rigid support to the glazing of the window...
ed windows.
- Church of San Lorenzo, between Varigotti and Capo Noli. It has Romanesque bell tower from the 12th century.
- Former convent of Santa Caterina, founded in 1359 and rebuilt in Renaissance times with the addition of two cloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
s. It is now home to the Town Museum.
Transport
The town is connected by various roads (mainly the SS1, or
via AureliaThe 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...
), the A10 highway Genova-Ventimiglia (exit "Finale Ligure"), and a double-track rail line.
Twin towns
Benalmádena,
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Ocean CityOcean City, sometimes known as OC, or OCMD, is an Atlantic Ocean resort town in Worcester County, Maryland, United States. Ocean City is widely known in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is a frequent destination for vacationers in that area...
, USA
CoseanoCoseano is a comune in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 80 km northwest of Trieste and about 15 km west of Udine....
,
ItalyItaly , 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...
RacalmutoRacalmuto is a comune in the Province of Agrigento in the Italian Autonomous Region of Sicily, located about 90 km southeast of Palermo and about 15 km northeast of Agrigento.Racalmuto borders the following municipalities: Bompensiere, Canicattì, Castrofilippo, Favara,...
,
ItalyItaly , 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...
Montechiaro d'AstiMontechiaro d'Asti is a town and comune in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 35 km east of Turin and about 13 km northwest of Asti....
,
ItalyItaly , 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...
Vittorio VenetoVittorio Veneto is a city and comune situated in the Province of Treviso, in the region of Veneto, Italy, in the northeast of the Italian peninsula, between the Piave and the Livenza rivers.-Geography:...
,
ItalyItaly , 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...
Famous people
- Carlo Domenico del Carretto
Carlo Domenico del Carretto was an Italian papal legate and Cardinal. He was called the Cardinal of Finale.-Biography:He was born to a noble family of Finale Ligure, the son of Giovanni I Lazzarino, marquis of Finale and Noli and Viscontina Adorno, daughter of Barnaba Adorno, doge of Genoa .-Early...
(1454–1514), Roman Catholic cardinalA cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
.
- Enrico Caviglia
Enrico Caviglia KCB was a distinguished officer in the Italian Army. Victorious on the bloody battlefields of the Great War, he rose in time to the highest rank in his country, Marshal of Italy; he was also a Senator of the kingdom.-Early years:Caviglia was born in Finalmarina , the sixth son of...
(1863–1945), Marshal of ItalyMarshal of Italy was a rank in the Italian Royal Army . Originally created in 1924 by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini for the purpose of honoring Generals Luigi Cadorna and Armando Diaz, the rank was granted to several other general officers from 1926 to 1943...
- Renato Castellani
Renato Castellani was an Italian film director and screenwriter.- Filmography :*The Iron Crown *Un colpo di pistola *Zazà...
, film director and writer
- Giovanni Boine, writer
- Marco Ferrando
Marco Ferrando is an Italian Trotskyist activist and politician, the leading member of the AMR Progetto Comunista current in the Movimento per un Partito Comunista dei Lavoratori , and a member of the Co-ordinating Committee for the Refoundation of the Fourth International.In February 2006, in the...
, Communist politician