Fifty kilometres east of Europe’s premier gambling capital lies San Remo, Italy’s own Monte Carlo, a sun-dappled Mediterranean resort with a casino, a clutch of ostentatious villas and lashings of Riviera-style grandeur. Beaches aside, San Remo (spelled Sanremo in Italian) hides the atmospheric lanes of a medieval district called La Pigna.

Sanremo is a city and comune on the Mediterranean coast of Liguria, in northwestern Italy. Founded in Roman times, it has a population of 55,000, and is known as a tourist destination on the Italian Riviera. It hosts numerous cultural events, such as the Sanremo Music Festival and the Milan–San Remo cycling classic.

HIGHLIGHTS

The coastal resort of Sanremo was an important social centre around the end of the 19th century, and a popular resort until the middle of the 20th century, and many of the the grand houses and hotels that you can see in the town date from that period.

Sanremo is a famous seaside city on the Italian Riviera of northwestern Italy. Best known for its casino and annual Italian song festival, Sanremo is also popular for beaches, boating, and its unusual old town, La Pigna, whose narrow cobbled streets wind up the hill to a beautiful sanctuary and gardens with fantastic sea views. The surrounding area is known for the production of flowers and olive oil.

Things to See and Do in Sanremo

• Madonna della Costa Sanctuary, perched on a hill, is the symbol of the city. A 17th century mosaic pathway leads the way to the sanctuary. The interior has an ornate altar and organ and is decorated with 17th – 19th century paintings and statues. The dome, visible from the harbor, was erected between 1770 and 1775. Near the sanctuary are the *Gardens of Queen Elena.
• La Pigna, the Pine cone, is the medieval section. Its tiny picturesque streets and covered alleyways wind up the hill. The tourist itinerary through La Pigna has signs telling about some of the historic buildings, churches, and squares that have been restored. There are a few small restaurants and shops, especially near the bottom of the hill.
• Casino Sanremo, in the city center, was built in 1905 in Liberty Deco style. Its Roof Garden restaurant is known as an elegant dining venue and there are several bars in the gaming rooms. The Casino is also a top place to celebrate New Year’s Eve.
• Via Matteotti is a pedestrian shopping street that runs just above the harbor. This is the best place for shopping for clothing, jewelry, and shoes. There are several bars where you can sit outside and enjoy people-watching while you have a coffee or a drink.
• A walking and biking path runs along much of the harbor area, often filled with yachts and excursion boats. There are several beaches for sun-bathing or swimming in summer and a public swimming pool. Restaurants and nightclubs can be found around the harbor, too.
• The Russian Orthodox Church was built in the early 1900’s when Sanremo was popular with Russians as a winter destination. The church is similar to the church of San Basilio in Moscow.
• The Civic Museum is housed in the historic Palazzo Nota (closed Sundays and Mondays). Exhibits include prehistoric and Roman finds from the area, paintings, and a multimedia presentation about the city’s history and art. On the second floor is the Salone del Consiglio Comunale, a room covered with frescoes.
• Villa Noble is a 19th century villa that was the retirement home of Alfred Noble, chemist and creator of the Noble prize. The beautiful villa is now a museum (closed Mondays and Tuesdays) with displays of personal items related to the works of Alfred Noble. It sits in a large park with exotic plants. Nearby is the large park of Villa Ormand.

Culture

Music festival

The Ariston Theatre hosts the celebrated annual Sanremo Music Festival, a very popular song contest held in the city since 1951. This festival inspired the Eurovision Song Contest, which started in 1956, and for years the Sanremo festival selected the Italian entry. The internationally notable song Nel blu dipinto di blu, also known as Volare, was performed at this festival for the first time by Domenico Modugno in 1958. The festival is so popular among Italians that it is often referred to simply as “Il Festival” (The Festival). Other events include the Tenco Prize (autumn), a song contest for authors dedicated to the memory of Luigi Tenco; the Flowers Parade in January/February in which every city of the Italian Riviera presents an original composition of flowers displayed on a Carnival/Mardi-Gras style moving car; and the summer Firework International Contest in the second week of August also called Ferragosto.

Cuisine

The culinary specialities of Sanremo and environs include Sardenara, Focaccia, Focaccia alle Cipolle, Torta Verde, Farinata and Taggiasca olives.

Gambling

The Sanremo Casino (Casino Municipale di Sanremo) opened in 1905 and has operated continuously since then with the exception of the years of World War II. For much of its history, the casino was tolerated or granted exceptions to Italian gambling laws in order to allow the resort to compete with the casino towns in nearby France and Monaco.

Sanremo hosts an annual poker tournament as part of the European Poker Tour. The city is widely accepted as the origin of the five-card stud variant telesina