What to see in Sanremo: exploring the city center

Discovering Sanremo, in the heart of western Liguria, is an experience that fascinates and surprises. Located in the province of Imperia, this city offers a historic center full of hidden treasures and picturesque corners. If you are wondering what to see in San Remo, get ready for a journey through elegant palaces, flower gardens and authentic traditions. Visiting the city center means immersing yourself in a reality that weaves history and modernity, offering unique emotions at every step.

How to get to San Remo[ back to menu ]

Do you want to reach San Remo starting from Diano Marina (discover our vacation apartments in Diano Marina)? One of the most convenient and scenic ways is probably by train: the trip takes about 30 minutes, with frequent trains along the coastal rail line. If you prefer to travel by car, the journey takes about 40 minutes along the A10 highway.

Once you arrive in San Remo, you can find several parking areas both free and paid near the city center, perfect for visiting major points of interest.

Visiting downtown San Remo[ back to menu ]

 

Downtown San Remo is a vibrant hub of culture, shopping and entertainment. Strolling through its elegant streets, you can admire trendy boutiques, historic cafes, and magnificent buildings that tell the city's rich history. Let's discover together the must-see places in this fascinating urban area.

 

Piazza Colombo and Via Palazzo[ back to menu ]

 

A tour of downtown San Remo inevitably begins at Piazza Colombo, the beating heart of the city. This central square is known for hosting events related to the famous Sanremo Festival and is the terminus of local buses.

 

From Piazza Colombo, you can head to Via Palazzo, a street parallel to Via Matteotti, the famous street of Sanremo's Ariston Theater. Along Via Palazzo, one comes across vintage posters dating back to the Kingdom of Italy, including one from 1900 that regulated beach access in a rather curious and now anachronistic way. The mayor's poster imposed standards of decency for bathing in the sea, with restrictions unimaginable today.

Piazza Nota and the Civic Museum of San Remo[ back to menu ]

 

Continuing along Via Palazzo, one encounters the Church of Santo Stefano. Just beyond, Piazza Nota opens up, dominated by the Commissioner's Palace, now home to the San Remo Civic Museum.

 

The square, named after Alberto Nota, an important civil servant in the first half of the 1800s, is surrounded by buildings of great historical value. The Commissioner's Palace, designed by Ticino architect Pietro Antonio Corradi (1613-1683) and completed in 1667, was built to house the commissioner of the western riparia, that is, the Genoese governor of the Riviera di Ponente. Before 1651, the commissioner resided in Porto Maurizio, but the proximity to Oneglia, under Savoy control since 1575, made it necessary to move it to San Remo, the second most important city of the Genoese Republic.

Remodeled in the 1700s, the palace housed San Remo's municipal authorities until after World War II. Above the entrance one can admire the city's coat of arms, a marble work by Ticino-born Gio Andrea Manni.

 

The square is further enriched by the convent of the Annunziate Celesti nuns, known as the Turquoise nuns, who have been in town since 1636. This complex, too, designed by Corradi and now used for school activities, long housed the classical high school attended by Italo Calvino.

 

The square was the true center of the city before the post-war renovation of Piazza Colombo, and today the Civic Museum offers visitors a fascinating glimpse into San Remo's history, preserving valuable evidence of the city's past.

Muccioli Square and the Christopher Columbus Institute[ back to menu ]

Muccioli Square is a place of great historical and cultural significance, as it houses the Christopher Columbus Institute. In the past, this building was home to the Cassini High School, where Italo Calvino attended the gymnasium from 1933 to 1938 and the high school from 1938 to 1941. Calvino, a leading figure in Italian literature, chose to be excused from religion classes, a nonconformist decision for the time.

 

The former convent of the Turchine nuns, now home to the institute, is closely linked to the history of western Liguria. The building faces Piazza Muccioli on one side and Piazza Eroi Sanremesi on the other.

 

Along Via Matteotti, from the Casino to the Ariston, signs with Calvino quotes can be found, testifying to the writer's enduring influence on the city. These elements help to inextricably link San Remo's history to that of the famous author, offering yet another reason to explore this fascinating area of the city.

Piazza Eroi Sanremesi and the Covered Market[ back to menu ]

 

Currently, Eroi Sanremesi Square is an open-air construction site, with work underway to build an underground parking lot. This transformation represents a significant part of San Remo's urban renewal.

 

Adjacent to this square is the recently renovated covered market. This bustling market is renowned for its wide range of fresh local produce, ranging from fruits and vegetables to meat and fish. Located near the historic Saracen tower, the market is a great place to buy zero-mile produce, ensuring excellent and sustainable shopping.

 

Ciapela Tower[ back to menu ]

 

Also in Sanremesi Heroes Square, stands the famous Ciapela Tower, dating back to 1550 and built for defensive purposes against barbarian raids. This tower, erected by the Republic of Genoa, represents one of San Remo's most important historical symbols. It was designed by Lombard engineer Gio Maria Olgiati and built by local contractor Gio Battista Palmaro. Its construction, begun in the sixth decade of the 16th century, was part of a master plan to strengthen the coastal defenses of Liguria.

 

The tower, with a truncated cone shape slightly scarped at the base, integrates perfectly with the pre-existing walls, without interrupting the patrol path. During its construction, the City of San Remo compensated for the damage caused to neighboring lands with 11 scudi d'Italia, as documented by historian Calvini. In its foundations ran an underground bealera, derived from the San Romolo stream, of which underground traces remain.

 

Today, the Ciapela Tower is an emblem of ancient San Remo, located just below the historic Pigna, which visually dominates it. The tower is not only a historical monument, but also a symbol of the city's resistance against enemy incursions.

 

There is a small historical diatribe regarding the dating of the tower. Some historians believe that the construction may date back to 1130, adding an aura of mystery to this important monument.

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San Siro Square and the Co-Cathedral of San Siro[ back to menu ]

 

From Heroes of San Remo Square, heading towards San Siro Square, one reaches the heart of San Remo's historic district. This square represents the center of the ancient city settlement, located along the ancient Via Romana, now Via Palazzo and Via Corradi, and inhabited since the 1st-2nd centuries AD. Despite the development of the Pigna district during the Middle Ages, the city's main church was dedicated to St. Syrus, a legendary early Christian bishop of Genoa who became co-patron of the city along with St. Romulus, another Genoese bishop who died in hermitage in the heights of the area. Interestingly, the name San Remo is actually derived from a dialectal corruption of Saint Romulus.

The square is surrounded by tall medieval houses and is home to several notable monuments. In addition to the Co-Cathedral of San Siro, there are the Baptistery of St. John the Baptist, with an underlying archaeological area and a valuable picture gallery, and the Oratory of the Immaculate Conception, the seat of a confraternity with a rich interior decoration of marble inlays and Baroque paintings telling stories of the Virgin. The parish works building stands on the site of the former Oratory of St. German, an imposing Baroque building demolished after World War II.

In front of the Oratory of the Immaculate Conception is a fountain made from a basin donated to the city by British Colonel Momber. This basin, made of white Carrara marble and dating from the 12th century, probably comes from the Upper Adriatic area and its original function remains shrouded in mystery.

Near the church of San Siro in San Remo

The Fountain of Siro Andrea Carli[ back to menu ]

 

Near the Church of San Siro is a fountain dedicated to Siro Andrea Carli, a historic mayor of San Remo. Carli is remembered for his fundamental work in building an aqueduct to bring drinking water to the city. After locating a spring on the slopes of Mount Pian di Castagna, in the locality of Lago Nero, Carli overcame numerous state obstacles to complete the project.

On August 15, 1829, water could finally flow for the first time from the fountains in Piazza dei Dolori, Piazza Capitolo, Piazza di Palazzo (now Piazza Nota) and Piazza Nuova. In 1834, the obelisk-shaped fountain in Bresca Square was inaugurated. This work was crucial for San Remo, which was suffering from severe droughts.

Carli's water supply system is also connected to Piazza Cisterna della Pigna, where there are underground cisterns used to store and collect water, thus ensuring an essential resource for the population.

 

Via Matteotti, the statue of Mike Buongiorno and the Convent of the Capuchin Friars[ back to menu ]

 

Via Matteotti, one of San Remo's main thoroughfares, is bustling with commercial and cultural activity. Along this street are all kinds of stores, bars, restaurants, and the famous cinema where one can see signs with quotations from Italo Calvino, paying homage to the famous writer with ties to the city.

The statue of Mike Bongiorno is another iconic landmark. However, the main attraction along Via Matteotti is the Ariston Theater, famous for hosting the Sanremo Festival.

 

Next to the Sanremo Casino is the Convento dei Frati Cappuccini, whose presence in the city dates back to 1578. This convent, with a rich history and architecture, is an important religious and cultural landmark.

The Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli[ back to menu ]

 

Returning towards Piazza Colombo, it is worth making a brief stop at the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli to admire one of the city's most significant religious buildings.

 

The San Remo Casino[ back to menu ]

 

We now come to the famous San Remo Casino. In Italy, there are only four casinos: the Casino di Campione in Campione d'Italia, the Casino de la Vallée in Saint-Vincent, the Casino di Sanremo in the Ligurian town of the same name, and the Casino di Venezia, located on the famous Grand Canal.

The San Remo Casino, an imposing structure opened in 1905, hosted the Sanremo Festival from 1951 to 1976, becoming a cultural and social landmark. However, with the growing popularity of online games and slot machines, the casino faces the challenge of reinventing itself to maintain its relevance.

Inside the San Remo Casino is also a theater that hosts various events throughout the year.

Bresca Square, Porto Vecchio and the San Remo Movida[ back to menu ]

 

After visiting the San Remo Casino, a walk along Via Matteotti leads back to Piazza Colombo. From here, continuing to the area of Piazza Bresca, Porto Vecchio and the Cycle Track, you reach the heart of San Remo's nightlife.

Bresca Square is the nerve center of San Remo's nightlife, with numerous breweries, pizzerias, and restaurants making it a lively and always crowded place. The square is dedicated to Benedetto Bresca, a sailor who became famous for saving the erection of the obelisk in St. Peter's Square in 1586. During the raising of the obelisk, the ropes began to overheat and Bresca, contravening the order of silence imposed by Pope Sixtus V, suggested wetting the ropes with water, thus averting disaster. For this act, Pope Sixtus V rewarded Bresca by granting him the honor of sending San Remo's palms to Rome each year for the Easter festivities.

 

 

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