THE LITTLE WALL “IL MURETTO”
An art installation in continuous evolution, with colourful tiles of different shapes on which are placed the autographs of celebrities from the worlds of entertainment, art, culture and sport who wanted to leave a mark of their passage through the town.
Some of the works on the Muretto also remind us that Alassio is also the city of lovers: the famous work “Les Amoureaux” by Raymond Peynet, the bronze statue of “The Lovers” by Eros Pellini, “The Storks” made of steel by Umberto Mastroianni and, one of the symbols of the city of Alassio, “The Little Fishes” by Maestro Mario Berrino. There is also a mailbox that, on the occasion of the competition “The most beautiful love letter”, every Valentine’s Day, is placed in the post office. every Valentine’s Day, is filled with letters and love poems from all over Europe.
THE GARDENS OF VILLA PERGOLA
The gardens of Villa della Pergola are a rare example of an Anglo-Mediterranean park that has its roots in the 1870s and flourished under the generous ownership of the Hanbury family in the last century. In a path of scents and colours, you can admire the seasonal blooms of Mediterranean and exotic plants in a unique position overlooking the sea.
Guided tours are available from March to October in the park, which covers an area of about twenty-two thousand square metres, where the wisteria blooms in April and the agapanthus at the end of June are not to be missed.
CARLO LEVI ART GALLERY
The works of the Turin-born artist Carlo Levi, who chose Alassio as his summer residence between 1929 and 1975, are exhibited in Palazzo Morteo, in the historic centre of Alassio. The paintings depict the lush nature, olive trees, carob trees and rocks of the Alassio landscape, but not only, there is also the famous portrait of Italo Calvino (friend of the artist and frequent visitor of his villa in the hills).
RICHARD WEST GALLERY
Donated to the city of Alassio in 1963 by West’s daughter, Kathleen. On display are 76 works painted by the artist during his stay in Alassio between 1888 and 1905, depicting beautiful landscapes and views of the seaside villages of Alassio, Laigueglia and Andora. At the same time, the Gallery is home to the English Library, which, with its 15,000 volumes, is one of the most important English-language libraries in Italy.
VIA IULIA AUGUSTA
Protected by an archaeological and landscaping constraint, the Via Iulia Augusta was built in 13 BC at the behest of Emperor Augustus to connect Rome to southern Gaul.
Between Alassio and Albenga, it is a nature trail that is partly asphalted and partly on beaten earth with a historic cobbled section. It is one of the most evocative in Liguria, easy to walk along and has the typical colours and smells of the of the Mediterranean maquis. It can be walked for about two hours and offers suggestive digressions between past and present. The four-kilometre route starts from the church of Santa Croce, in Alassio, and ends at the monumental complex of S. Martino, in Albenga.
