History and attractions of Imperia

Sources www.italia-ru.com, en.wikipedia.org

The city of Imperia, sometimes also called "double city", is not even a hundred years old, it appeared in 1923 as a result of the merger of the neighboring towns of Oneglia and Porto Maurizio, which are the two main areas of Imperia now.

The city takes its name from the Imperia River, which divides city in two parts.

Onelia, located on the eastern side of the river, is the more modern part of the city. Onelia is the industrial center of Imperia, specializing in the production of olive oil, which has been made here since the 12th century, and pasta.

Porto Maurizio, with its historic center, narrow streets and old buildings, is located on the west coast of the Imperia River, and the main occupations of the population of this part of the city are fishing and the tourist industry.

History

The name of Oneglia may have its roots in the pre-Roman settlement of Pagus Unelia, on the hill of Castelvecchio, which was probably one of the sex oppida of the Liguri. This spawned Ripa Uneliae, a village down on the coast probably on the site of the modern-day Borgo Peri. Modern Oneglia became established on its modern site around 935AD, possibly after it was destroyed by the Saracens; in 1100 it became a fief of the Diocese of Albenga. In 1298 Oneglia became part of the fiefdom of the Doria family of Genoa; the famous admiral Andrea Doria (1466–1560) was born in the town. The Dorias sold the town to Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy in 1576, and Oneglia essentially remained a Savoyard enclave in the Republic of Genoa until Italian unification. Nonetheless, it was on the front line in the wars of the House of Savoy; it was seized in 1614 and 1649 by the Spaniards and in 1623 and 1672 by the Genoese. In 1692 it had to repulse an attack by a French squadron; in 1744–45 it was again occupied by the Spaniards, and in 1792 bombarded and burned by the French.

Porto Maurizio was a Roman settlement, Portus Maurici, which, though named in the brief maritime itinerary appended to the Antonine Itinerary,^[4] must be an interpolation in manuscripts of that third century document, since it is named after Saint Maurice, leader of the Theban Legion who were not martyred until 286 and could not have been memorialized until the Christianized Empire of the fourth century.^[5] It became a Byzantine port after the Gothic Wars of the 6th century, then passed to the Order of Saint Benedict. It was subject to the counts of Turin in the 11th century, and then to the marchesi of Clavesana. Boniface of Clavesana sold the town to the Republic of Genoa in 1288^[6] in return for a yearly payment,^[3] as part of Genoa's expansion into western Liguria. In 1354 it became the seat of the Genoese vicar of the western Riviera.^[3] The town prospered even though control of Genoa passed between the French, the Duchy of Milan, and the Spanish. During the Napoleonic Wars Napoleon Bonaparte himself stopped for a night in Porto Maurizio and spent the night on the Parrasio on the third floor of Palazzo Lavagna. At the Congress of Vienna in 1815, it was awarded to the Kingdom of Sardinia, before finally joining a united Italy in 1861.

Mussolini created the city of Imperia on 21 October 1923 by the union of Porto Maurizio and Oneglia and the surrounding village communes of Piani, Caramagna Ligure, Castelvecchio di Santa Maria Maggiore, Borgo Sant'Agata, Costa d'Oneglia, Poggi, Torrazza, Moltedo and Montegrazie.

Attractions of Imperia

The Cathedral of Saint Maurizio (Basilica di San Maurizio) is located in Porto Maurizio. It is the largest Catholic church in the whole of Liguria, its height is 48 meters and its area is about 3000 square meters. The cathedral was built between 1781 and 1838 in neoclassical style, designed by the architect Gaetano Cantoni. Its interior is decorated with sculptures and paintings by masters of the second half of the 19th century.

The International Maritime Museum (Museo Navale Internazionale) is located next to the Cathedral of San Maurizio in Porto Maurizio, it appeared in Imperia in the 1980s. In the thirty years of its existence, the museum has gathered a rich collection of documents related to commercial and military maritime history, from the eighteenth century to the present day. There are also exhibits reflecting the history of wooden shipbuilding, cartography and ship instruments.

Outside the ancient fortress wall of Porto Maurizio you can see the medieval Church of Maltese Knights (Cappella dei Cavalieri di Malta), built in 1362 as a refuge for the Knights of Malta. In 1365 Petrarch stayed here while returning from Avignon. This building is considered the oldest in Porto Maurizio.

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (Collegiata di San Giovanni), built in the 18th century in Baroque style, is located in the heart of Onelia and is the main church of this part of the Imperia. The cathedral is decorated with numerous frescoes and colored stained glass.

The Villa Grock and the beautiful garden that surrounds it are located in Onelia. The famous Swiss clown of the early 20th century, Grock (real name Charles Adrien Wettach) visited to Onelia in 1920 and was so enchanted by it that he decided to build the "White Villa" and, being passionate about plants, to plant a park. The villa and park were restored in 2006 and opened to the public in 2010. Since 2012, Villa Grok has been the location of the Clown Museum.

The Olive Oil Museum (Museo dell'olivo) was founded by the Carli family, who created the Carli Brothers olive oil company in 1911. Originally, it was a collection dedicated to a century of activity of this enterprise. Today, the museum contains exhibits that tell the 6,000-year history of olive cultivation and olive oil production.

What to try in Imperia

To list some of the typical dishes of Imperia: "sardinaria" (pizza with tomato sauce, onions, sardines, origano, capers, olives and garlic); "farinata" made of chickpeas (chickpea flour pie with chickpeas and onions); cod with potatoes and onions; "green cake" (vegetable casserole with beet, artichokes, green peas, with rice or eggs); traditional for all Liguria pesto (sauce based on basil, olive oil, parmesan, garlic and pine nuts.

Among cheeses it is worth mentioning soft cheese from cow's milk "Alpeggio di Triora".

Lovers of sweets will appreciate the traditional local dish "Stroscia di Pietrabruna", a crumbly pie with lemon, herbs and the characteristic flavor of olive oil.