Alassio historical timeline

Storia

Alassio non ha un passato romano, e quell'assenza determina tutto ciò che viene dopo. Il territorio appartenne al municipium di Albenga, e i primi ad abitare qui furono profughi ingauni su una collina. Un borgo costiero si formò nel XII secolo sotto un monastero insulare e una città vescovile dell'interno; passò due secoli e mezzo come soggetto di Albenga, si comprò una misura di indipendenza da Genova nel 1540 e costruì 1,6 chilometri di mura contro i pirati barbareschi. Poi fu una città di marinai — oltre 2.000 su 6.300 abitanti — fino a quando la ferrovia portò i villeggianti inglesi negli anni Settanta dell'Ottocento e l'intera economia passò a loro. Il Muretto e i baci di Alassio, le due cose per cui la città è nota, furono inventati entrambi per far piacere ai turisti.

Cronologia

Età romana Nella zona di Alassio non esiste alcun aggregato umano. L'area appartiene al Pagus civitatis del municipium di Albenga. I primi abitanti del territorio sono liguri della tribù degli ingauni, probabilmente profughi da Albenga dopo l'invasione delle legioni romane, che si stabiliscono su una collina chiamata Castè.
c. 940 I benedettini della Gallinaria erigono la chiesa di Sant'Anna ai Monti, con navata trapezoidale. È l'edificio datato più antico del comune. I reperti archeologici trovati sull'antica strada romana collinare tra Alassio e Albenga durante il suo restauro negli anni sessanta sono datati dagli storici locali a un primo impianto urbano del IX secolo.
IX secolo La stirpe degli Aleramici detiene una signoria in Liguria e in Piemonte. È l'unico residuo comprovato della leggenda di fondazione della città — la storia di Adelasia, figlia dell'imperatore Ottone I di Sassonia, in fuga con lo scudiero Aleramo a fondare Alaxia alle falde del monte Tirasso. Giosuè Carducci le dedicò una poesia; gli storici la contestano.
1036 La marchesa Adelaide di Susa possiede una corte regia ad Albenga — una delle tre spiegazioni concorrenti del nome della città, insieme alla leggendaria Adelasia e al latino salacia, che descriverebbe il terreno sabbioso.
1123 Il nome è attestato per la prima volta, come Alaxe, che riflette la pronuncia locale e la caratteristica rotacizzazione della "l" ligure. Prima dell'unità d'Italia si registrano altre sedici grafie, da Alaxium ad Arassio.
XII secolo Le prime fonti ufficiali menzionano Alassio. Compare un certo Gandulfo "de Adalaxia", coinvolto nella vendita di beni della chiesa albenganese di Santa Maria in Fontibus e nella concessione di una vigna al monastero benedettino dell'isola Gallinara. Nello stesso periodo alcune famiglie scendono dagli insediamenti collinari circostanti verso la costa e fondano il Burgum Alaxi, e viene eretta una nuova chiesa dedicata a Sant'Ambrogio.
1303 L'abate benedettino Giovanni di Diano cede tutte le sue proprietà nel territorio di Alassio al comune di Albenga. Fino a quel momento Alassio aveva avuto una posizione politica e giurisdizionale di rilievo nel territorio albenganese sotto la protezione e il patronato degli abati della Gallinara. Quella protezione finisce qui.
1382 Viene eretta la chiesa della Santissima Annunziata; è riedificata nel 1480 e conserva affreschi tardomedievali. La chiesa della Carità, con tre portali scolpiti, risale al 1307.
1507 Sant'Ambrogio diventa parrocchia. Il suo campanile romanico-gotico del XIV secolo sopravvive dall'edificio precedente, sotto una facciata rinascimentale.
1521-1557 Alassio si cinge di mura. Contro la rivalità di Albenga e le incursioni dei pirati turchi e barbareschi, la comunità costruisce una cinta di oltre 1,6 chilometri attorno a tutta la città, con bastioni e torrioni a copertura del Borgo Barusso a ovest e del Borgo Coscia a est — quest'ultimo difeso da due torri ma lasciato fuori dalle mura principali. Un fossato chiamato fossao de li roxotti, oggi il rio Cardellino, segna il confine orientale. I lavori principali si concludono nel 1540; le mura non sono complete prima del 1557. La leggenda attribuisce parte della manodopera a diciotto schiavi barbareschi, catturati dal capitano alassino Giuliano Berno.
1528 I marinai di Alassio armano 18 galeoni per Andrea Doria, per respingere i francesi che minacciano la Repubblica di Genova. I francesi tornano per vendetta con galee e tartane nella rada stessa di Alassio; i marinai della città li respingono, guidati da Odoardo Airaldo nel Borgo Coscia e da Pietro Fignone nel Borgo Barusso.
23-24 gennaio 1540 Genova assume il controllo, e Alassio diventa città. La Repubblica istituisce la Podestaria di Alassio con un podestà proprio, e Alassio ottiene il titolo di Città. L'autonomia è parziale e la fonte è precisa: ampi poteri in materia civile, salvo le cause che coinvolgono cittadini di Albenga, e per i delitti più gravi il podestà istruisce il processo ma la sentenza spetta ancora ad Albenga. È la prima volta che Alassio non è sotto il completo controllo di Albenga.
1625 Durante le ostilità tra Genova e il Ducato di Savoia, appoggiato dalla Francia, Alassio è temporaneamente occupata dalle truppe piemontesi, poi sconfitte dai soldati genovesi.
1796-1814 Il generale francese Cervoni ordina di far esplodere le munizioni nei bastioni della città perché non cadano in mano austriaca — e il podestà Pasquale Fontana le fa gettare in mare, salvando il centro abitato. Sotto Napoleone il vecchio cimitero viene spostato fuori dalle mura, si scavano nuovi pozzi, si rifanno le fasce collinari, e durante il soggiorno di Napoleone all'Hotel de Rome viene redatto il Catasto — il primo rilievo del territorio. Alassio passa al Dipartimento del Letimbro e poi al Primo Impero francese.
1815 Dopo il Congresso di Vienna Alassio è inglobata nella provincia di Albenga del Regno di Sardegna, e nel Regno d'Italia dal 1861.
1872 Apre la stazione ferroviaria — un edificio in legno, inaugurato dalla Società per le Ferrovie dell'Alta Italia. Il magazzino merci segue nel 1888, e la linea Genova-Ventimiglia trasforma Alassio in una meta internazionale. Tra i primi villeggianti inglesi c'è Sir Thomas Hanbury.
1875 Il pastore anglicano John Hayes fonda la English Library, costruita fuori dalla chiesa anglicana perché i parrocchiani in partenza potessero lasciarvi i libri. Diventa la seconda in Italia per volumi in lingua inglese, dopo quella di Firenze.
1876 Il generale William Montagu Scott McMurdo compra la collina che diventerà Villa della Pergola, edificando su una residenza dei Conti della Lengueglia un villino anglo-indiano battezzato Casa Napier in onore del suocero, il generale Sir Charles Napier. La villa principale segue dal 1880. Le famiglie Gibb, McMurdo e Hanbury fanno di Alassio, nella formula dell'enciclopedia, una sorta di colonia inglese.
29 giugno 1902 La passeggiata a mare è una promessa elettorale, e la promessa vince. Una lista civica chiamata Progressista, concepita dal socialista Angelo Ciccione, vince le elezioni su un programma che comprende un accordo con la Capitaneria di Porto per la passeggiata da Via Giancardi a Portosalvo, una strada dalla stazione a Piazza Freghetti e la rimozione del bastione sul molo. Andrea Quartino diventa sindaco. La sezione socialista alassina, fondata nel 1892, finisce il 18 settembre 1922 con le dimissioni di Ciccione sotto la pressione fascista.
1936 Il Casinò municipale del 1912 viene demolito per fare piazza Littorio, oggi Piazza Partigiani, e la licenza per il gioco va a Sanremo. Lo stesso anno la popolazione supera per la prima volta gli 8.000 abitanti. Nel 1938 la città conta 657.586 turisti, 286.000 dei quali stranieri.
1945 I tedeschi in ritirata distruggono la strettoia di Santa Croce sull'Aurelia, e l'arco romano sopra — quello di cui scrisse Cecil Roberts in Portal to Paradise — deve essere allargato per le automobili. Sotto l'occupazione e la Repubblica Sociale Italiana furono arrestati ad Alassio almeno sette ebrei tra quanti si erano rifugiati in provincia. Al referendum del 2 giugno 1946 la città vota 61,4% per la Repubblica. Il molo, ricostruito dal 1935 e distrutto dai tedeschi in ritirata, viene ricostruito di nuovo nel 1952.
1951-1953 Il Muretto. Il pittore Mario Berrino, che raccoglieva gli autografi dei clienti famosi del suo Caffè Roma, decide col fratello Giorgio e lo scrittore Ernest Hemingway di metterli sul muro spoglio di fronte sotto forma di piastrelle in ceramica. Le prime tre vengono posate di notte, per evitare la burocrazia; al mattino nessuno protesta. Miss Muretto comincia la stessa estate e arriva fino al 2013. Dal 1954 si disputa qui ogni anno la Targa d'Oro di bocce.
2006 Villa della Pergola è salvata a un'asta giudiziaria da una cordata guidata da Silvia e Antonio Ricci, dopo la confisca di guerra, decenni di abbandono e l'occupazione tedesca del 1943-45. Paolo Pejrone restaura i 22.000 metri quadrati di giardino; riapre nel 2012, vince Il Parco più bello d'Italia per il 2020-2022 e diventa Partner Garden RHS nel 2025.

Verificato su Wikipedia, ottobre 2026.

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Verificato su Wikipedia — In the Roman age no human aggregate existed in the zone of Alassio. It is nonetheless certain that the Pagus civitatis of the municipium of Albenga held the areas of the present comune of Alassio. The first inhabitants of the territory of Alassio were the Ligurians, belonging to the tribe of the Ingauni. They were probably refugees from Albenga, after the victorious Roman legions invaded the Albenga territory; these refugees coming from Albenga settled on a hill called Caste or Castle. In the course of the restoration works on the church of Sant'Anna ai Monti, carried out around the nineteen-sixties, several archaeological finds were discovered on the ancient Roman hill road connecting Alassio and Albenga; according to a first study carried out by local historians, such finds may date back to a first urban establishment of the ninth century. On the hill walkers' paths on the slopes of monte Pisciavino, Casone (or caselle) are visible, typical stone constructions which served as shelter for shepherds., In the historical context of Alassio, local tradition associates its foundation with the presumed story of Adelasia and Aleramo. It is told that Adelasia (some sources also call her Alassia or Alasia) was the daughter of the emperor of Saxony, Otto I, while Aleramo (also called Alerame), son of king Vitichindo, was a valorous squire or court cup-bearer in the emperor's service. A love blossomed between them, and faced with the social disparity and the severe disapproval of the emperor the two lovers undertook a bold flight from Germany, crossing the regions of the Holy Roman Empire. Their journey led them as far as the Ligurian lands, at the foot of Monte Tirasso, where a military station already stood along the Roman road, the Julia Augusta; this place is today identified as the seat of the Madonna della Guardia. Aleramo soon revealed himself an expert charcoal burner, selling the charcoal produced at the market of the nearby town of Albenga, and with the proceeds bought the material needed for making bags and small artefacts, a skill in which Adelasia excelled. Following Aleramo's able military deeds, particularly evident during the conflicts against the Magyars, and the diplomatic intercession of the bishop of Albenga, a reconciliation took place between Otto -- who had come down into Italy to fight the Saracens -- and the couple. Aleramo was granted a fief known as the "Marca Aleramica", and Adelasia received the building of a settlement, baptised with the name of Alaxia, which subsequently developed as Alassio. The legend also attracted the attention of the poet Giosue Carducci, who dedicated a poem to it. Notwithstanding the wide appreciation of this romantic legend, it has been the object of contestation by historians and scholars. From this legend, however, there derives a proven fact: in the ninth century the line of the Aleramici held a lordship in Liguria and in Piedmont., Alassio, known for the first time in 1123 as Alaxe, reflects the local pronunciation Ar̂ase (or Ar̂asce) and illustrates a characteristic trait of the Ligurian dialects: the rhotacisation of the "l". The name underwent lexical variation over the centuries, with alterations such as Adalaxia and Alaxia, which seem to derive from the name "Adelasia", while variants such as Arasi or Aracci suggest a phonetic mixture between the Ligurian "r" and the "l"; this phenomenon led cartographers and compilers of documents to confuse the sounds. One hypothesis on the origin of the toponym links it to a legendary figure called Adelasia (or Alassia). The denomination could originate from the female name Adalaxia or Alaxia, derivations of the Lombard name Adalahais, forerunner of the name Adelaide; such variants already appeared as surnames or toponyms in the documents of the eleventh and twelfth centuries, for example Gandulfus de Adalaxia. Another hypothesis is based on the characteristic sandy soil present in the territory of Alassio, originally called "salacia", which through the linguistic phenomenon of aphaeresis was transformed over time. Alternatively some link the name to "Tirasso", from the mountain behind the town, whose name may have been Latinised and then evolved; a possible link is with the marchioness Adelaide of Susa, who in 1036 possessed a royal court at Albenga. Before the unification of Italy, Alassio was called in documents and on maps in various ways, among them Alascio, Alaxia, Alaxe, Adalaxia, Alaxii, Alassium, Alaxium, Alaxum, Arasi, Arassi, Arassa, Arassio, Aracci, Araxum, Alacium, Alaso and Alaxio., Human settlements after the Roman epoch date back to the ninth century; however, the first official sources that mention Alassio date to the twelfth century. In these documents a certain Gandulfo "de Adalaxia" is mentioned, involved in the sale of goods belonging to the Albenga church of Santa Maria in Fontibus, and in the concession of a vineyard to the monastery of the Benedictine monks situated on the isola Gallinara (or Gallinaria). Around this same epoch, some families coming from the inhabited centres surrounding Alassio gradually moved along the coast and founded the Burgum Alaxi. Subsequently a new church dedicated to Sant'Ambrogio, bishop of Milan, was erected. Numerous sources indicate that the territory of Alassio was subject to the control of the Benedictine monks of the isola Gallinara. In the fourteenth century Alassio occupied a position of political and jurisdictional importance within the territory of Albenga, benefiting from the protection and patronage of the abbots of the Gallinara. In 1303, however, this situation underwent a significant change when the Benedictine abbot Giovanni di Diano ceded all his properties in the territory of Alassio to the neighbouring comune of Albenga., The churches and places of worship of Alassio represent a rich testimony of the religious and artistic history of the region. The church of Sant'Ambrogio, a parish since 1507, presents a Renaissance facade and a Romanesque-Gothic bell tower of the fourteenth century; preserved inside are works by artists of the Genoese seventeenth century such as Bernardo Castello and Giovanni Andrea De Ferrari. The sanctuary of Nostra Signora della Guardia, on monte Tirasso, dating back to the twelfth century, offers a panoramic view over the town and houses inside it an imposing marble statue of the Madonna della Guardia. The chapel of San Rocco, originally dedicated to the Madonna della Consolazione, was renamed in the sixteenth century in honour of san Rocco, and preserves inside a valuable altarpiece of the seventeenth century depicting the Madonna with the Child, sant'Andrea and san Rocco. The small chapel, erected in 1929, is a votive memorial dedicated to those lost at sea, situated on a rocky spur near the "Luca Ferrari" marina. The church of the Cappuccini, dedicated to Santa Maria Immacolata, dating back to the eighteenth century, preserves a Baroque altar in carved walnut and a valuable pulpit of 1503. The church of the Santissima Annunziata, erected in 1382 and rebuilt in 1480, presents late-medieval frescoes and works of the seventeenth century. The church of San Sebastiano at Moglio, with an original oratory of the twelve-hundreds, is distinguished by its Baroque facade and its polychrome marble altar of the sixteen-hundreds. The church of San Vincenzo Ferreri, built in 1938 in Neo-Empire style, houses an original altar of the sixteen-hundreds and three paintings of the seventeenth century. The church of Sant'Anna ai Monti, erected around 940 by the Benedictines of the Gallinaria, presents frescoes of the fifteenth century and a trapezoidal nave. The church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, founded in the fifteenth century by san Bernardo of Siena, presents frescoes of the sixteen-hundreds and a beamed ceiling in the central nave. The church of Loreto, built in the second half of the sixteenth century, houses a painting of the Madonna di Loreto and frescoes of the Genoese schools of the sixteen-hundreds. Other churches include the church of Sant'Anna at Borgo Barusso; the church of the Carita, erected in 1307 and furnished with three sculpted portals; the Madonna delle Grazie del Caste, with a seventeenth-century painting depicting the Birth of the Madonna; the church of San Bartolomeo at Caso, built in 1603 on a rocky knoll; the Chiesa della Madonna della Neve, also at Caso; the church of Santa Croce, erected in the eleventh century by the Benedictine monks of the isola Gallinara, which presents a portico of the sixteenth century and late-medieval frescoes; and the church of San Giovanni Battista, consecrated at the end of the nineteen-eighties, an example of modern architecture. Finally the monastery of Santa Chiara, built in 1884, was erected in the locality of Belvedere. In the hamlet of Cascia stands the oratory of the Madonna del Popolo and of Sant'Erasmo, built in 1614., In the course of the sixteenth century piracy manifested itself in a relevant way at Alassio, bringing notable challenges for the commerce of the region; notwithstanding the difficulties, the inhabitants of Alassio, furnished with letters of marque, actively exercised navigation. Between 1521 and 1557 Alassio witnessed an intense building activity aimed at strengthening its defences against the constant threats coming both from the rivalry with the people of Albenga and from the attacks of Turkish and Barbary pirates. The community undertook the construction of a robust wall circuit, which in the end surrounded the entire town, extending for more than 1.6 kilometres. This imposing defensive system included solid bastions and towers, positioned strategically to protect the most vulnerable areas, among them the Borgo Barusso to the west and Borgo Coscia to the east, the latter defended by two towers but left outside the main walls. A distinctive element of the fortification was the moat, called "fossao de li roxotti" -- now known as the rio Cardellino -- which marked the eastern boundary of the town, with the Bastione di Barluffo adapting over time to house commercial activity on its ground floor. Other defensive elements along the coast included outworks and bastions, such as the Bastione di Piazza, which was demolished to create space for the seafront promenade. The porta di San Vincenzo, part of the Bastione di Barluffo, was crucial for controlling access to the town. Legend tells that eighteen Barbary slaves, captured by Giuliano Berno, a captain of Alassio, contributed to the construction of these fortifications. Notwithstanding the completion of the principal works in 1540, the walls remained unfinished until 1557, a period in which Genoa intensified its efforts to guarantee the security of its coastal localities., In 1528 sailors and captains of Alassio armed 18 galleons coming from the waters of Sarzano, collaborating under the command of admiral Andrea Doria to repel the French who were threatening the Republic of Genoa. This act did not pass unnoticed, and the French, desiring revenge for the support the Genoese had received from Alassio, armed with numerous galleys and tartanes, presented themselves threateningly in the roadstead of Alassio; notwithstanding the crossfire, the sailors of Alassio, led by Odoardo Airaldo in the Borgo Coscia and by Pietro Fignone of Borgo Barusso, repelled them. Between 23 and 24 January 1540 the Republic of Genoa assumed control of Alassio, instituting the Podestaria di Alassio and appointing a podesta as its local representative, and the town obtained the title of Citta. The podesta enjoyed wide autonomy in civil matters, with the sole exception of cases involving citizens of Albenga; in penal matters he instructed the trials for the gravest crimes, but the definitive sentence belonged to the podesta of Albenga. This was the first time Alassio was an "autonomous" comune, and not under the complete control of Albenga. In 1625, during the period of hostilities between the Genoese State and the Duchy of Savoy -- the latter helped by the Kingdom of France -- Alassio was temporarily occupied by Piedmontese troops, who were then defeated by Genoese soldiers., During the Napoleonic period Alassio saw significant changes. Initially the French general Cervoni ordered the munitions present in the town's bastions to be blown up to prevent their falling into the hands of the Austrian troops; however, thanks to the intervention of the podesta Pasquale Fontana, these munitions were thrown into the sea instead of being exploded, thus saving the inhabited centre. Subsequently, with the arrival of the Napoleonic armies, Alassio saw a period of renewal and modernisation: the old cemetery was moved outside the walls, new wells were dug for the water supply, and the terraces on the hills were remade or restructured. Moreover, during Napoleon's stay at the Hotel de Rome, important works were carried out such as the Catasto, which represented the first cartographic revolution applied to the territory of Alassio. With the Napoleonic domination Alassio became part of the Departement du Letimbro and subsequently of the First French Empire. In 1815, after the Congress of Vienna, it was incorporated into the province of Albenga of the Kingdom of Sardinia and subsequently into the Kingdom of Italy from 1861. Between 1973 and 2008 the Comune di Alassio formed part of the comunita montana ingauna., During the nineteenth century the arrival of the Genoa-Ventimiglia railway marked the beginning of Alassio's path towards its status as a renowned international tourist destination, particularly appreciated by English visitors, among whom the figure of Sir Thomas Hanbury stands out. Several other prominent English families chose Alassio as their residence, including the Gibb, McMurdo and Hanbury families. The English played a significant role in the promotion of the culture of Alassio, so much so that the town is often considered a sort of "English colony", with numerous structures and places linked to English culture, such as the English library, the "Hanbury" tennis club and the Anglican church. The English Library was founded in 1875 by the Anglican pastor John Hayes, who was one of the first Anglican chaplains of the town. Hayes built a library outside the Anglican church of Alassio, so that parishioners returning home might leave the books they did not want to carry with them. It is one of the oldest English libraries in Italy and in Europe, and is the second library in Italy for the number and importance of its volumes in the English language, surpassed only by the English library of Florence. The place survived the two world wars, and the decline of the vast English presence in favour of other peoples., During the period between 1892 and 1922 Alassio hosted a local section of the Italian Socialist Party, under the leadership of Antonio Stalla and Angelo Ciccione, the latter of whom would subsequently hold the office of Mayor of Alassio. Besides the principal section situated at Alassio, socialist sections were also formed in the surrounding frazioni of Solva and Moglio, the latter recognised as an important bastion of socialism in the region. The importance of socialist thought in the frazione of Moglio led to the foundation, on 21 December 1901, of the Unione Progresso Mogliese, an organisation that continues to exist today. In the frazione of Solva too a group of workers united to form a nucleus. Afterwards a civic list known simply as "Progressista" emerged at Alassio, conceived by Angelo Ciccione. This list presented a series of proposals, among them an agreement with the Capitaneria di Porto for the construction of the seafront promenade from Via Giancardi to Portosalvo, the demolition of buildings along Via Torino, the creation of a road connecting the railway station to Piazza Freghetti, and the removal of the bastion situated on the pier. The list obtained victory in the elections of 29 June 1902, with Andrea Quartino elected mayor. The presence of socialism and communism in the town and its frazioni came to an official conclusion on 18 September 1922, with the resignation of mayor Angelo Ciccione, motivated by the growing influence of fascism., In 1912 Alassio saw the opening of its municipal Casino, a significant addition to the social and cultural life of the town. However, this structure was demolished in 1936 to give space to the creation of piazza Littorio, today known as Piazza Partigiani; following the closure of the municipal Casino the gambling licence was transferred to the Casino of Sanremo. Carlo Noceti was elected mayor and held the office from 1923 to 1926. In that period the new Via Dante was extended as far as Piazza Paccini, under the direction of the podesta Santino Durante, elected in 1927; in parallel a new Anglican church was built in an elevated position with respect to the railway line, since the previous church had been incorporated into the land owned by the Ferrovie dello Stato, and it still exists. In 1929, with the arrival of the prefectural commissioner Novaro, Alassio granted honorary citizenship to the Duce; the same year also saw the erection of a small chapel dedicated to those lost at sea. Two years later, in 1931, a monument to the town's fallen was inaugurated, and in 1934, under the direction of the new podesta Andrea Quartino, the cemetery of Valbona or Barbona was opened. In 1935 the reconstruction of the Molo began, which was subsequently destroyed by the retreating Nazis and rebuilt in 1952. In 1936 the population of Alassio exceeded 8,000 inhabitants for the first time. Two years later, in 1938, the construction of an overpass began in order to eliminate the level crossing situated to the east of the town, a modification definitively implemented only after the war. In 1940, following the demolition of the ancient Church of San Vincenzo situated in the present Piazza Partigiani, a new parish was built to the west of the town, keeping the same name., In the period of the German occupation and of the Italian Social Republic, at least 7 were arrested at Alassio among the numerous Jews who had sought refuge from the deportations in the province of Savona. After the end of the Second World War, in 1945, the arch of Santa Croce, mentioned in the book "Portal to Paradise" by Cecil Roberts, was modified to permit the passage of motor cars along the historic Roman road. This necessity emerged following the actions of the Nazis who, fleeing at the end of the conflict, destroyed the narrows of Santa Croce situated on the Aurelia below. At the institutional referendum of 2 June 1946 the town of Alassio expressed its vote in favour of the Italian Republic with a percentage of 61.4%. Like many other Ligurian localities, such as Sanremo or Portofino, during the economic boom Alassio knew a further increase in its popularity as a seaside tourist destination., The tourist industry, concentrated principally on bathing tourism and on hospitality, stands at the summit of the economy of Alassio, being the principal lever of economic development for the town. Alassio hosts numerous tourists every year, at times reaching peaks of 80,000 individuals, who come not only from northern Italy -- the latter usually during the summer season -- but also from other parts of Europe; the most celebrated are certainly the English and the Germans during the winter season, while the French who make excursions on the Cote d'Azur also occasionally pass through. From the tourist point of view, in 1929 Alassio registered almost 20,000 visitors during the summer, reaching an annual total of 500,000 people. In 1938 the number of tourists increased to 657,586, of whom 286,000 were foreigners. However, because of the war, the number of visitors diminished drastically to 442,000 people. After the influx of the English, Alassio became a sought-after destination also for tourists coming from the north of Liguria, among them the residents of Turin, Milan, Brescia and Bergamo., The installation of the Muretto di Alassio is placed in time between 1951 and 1953, when the painter Mario Berrino, animated by the will to transform the bare and anonymous wall in front of his bar, the Caffe Roma, decided to begin this project. Even before the idea of making the Muretto, Mario Berrino had begun the practice of collecting the signatures of the famous figures who frequented his bar, and this habit of collecting autographs proved fundamental in the creative process that led to the birth of the Muretto. Together with his friend and regular customer Ernest Hemingway, who happened to be staying at Alassio in that period, Berrino conceived the idea of adding tiles with the signatures of illustrious figures above the little wall in front of the Caffe Roma, and Hemingway was amply in agreement. The first tile to be laid on the Muretto di Alassio was Hemingway's, followed subsequently by that of the Quartetto Cetra and by that of Cosimo di Ceglie. However, this operation took place at night, or at dawn, in order to avoid bureaucratic complications and not to arouse suspicion among the residents of Alassio. Notwithstanding the clandestine nature of the operation, the following morning, when the first three tiles were already visible to all, nobody raised objections; this apparent tacit assent further encouraged the initiative, leading to the gradual increase of the tiles day after day., In the summer of 1953 Alassio had already affirmed its position as a renowned tourist destination, and the Muretto had meanwhile transformed itself into a popular meeting place for the young. During this period the custom spontaneously emerged of "electing" the most beautiful girl of the summer, who soon acquired the title of Miss Muretto. The best-known figures who have taken part in Miss Muretto are Simona Ventura and Maria Teresa Ruta, respectively winners of the 1986 edition and of the 1977 edition. Sixty years after its first edition, in 2013 the last Miss Muretto competition was held, which saw as winner Calina Simona Pletosu. The decision to conclude the contest was taken by the director of the competition, Francesco di Biase, nephew of the creator of the muretto Mario Berrino; the principal objective of this choice was to re-establish attention on the Muretto itself, whose cultural significance risked being overwhelmed by the attention concentrated on the beauty contest. The conclusion of Miss Muretto was probably also influenced by practical factors, such as the lack of funds and the diminution of interest in beauty contests in Italy., The Villa della Pergola is a historic residence of Alassio in Italy. The land on the hill of Alassio on which the villa stands was bought in 1876 by general William Montagu Scott McMurdo, who, together with his compatriot George Henderson Gibb, was among the first Britons to spend the winter period in the locality of Alassio. General McMurdo then had built, upon a pre-existing residence of the Counts della Lengueglia, a small villa in Anglo-Indian style baptised "Casa Napier" in honour of his father-in-law, general Sir Charles Napier; the villa proper, of eclectic style, was instead erected from 1880. From 1922 the property subsequently belonged to the Hanbury family. During the war period the estate remained closed and subject to confiscation; because of the lack of maintenance and the intrusions of wild animals a significant deterioration of the park occurred, a situation that worsened during the occupation of the German troops between 1943 and 1945. From the early nineteen-eighties the property passed temporarily to the De Martini family, who carried out some restoration interventions limited exclusively to the buildings. In 2006 the Park and the villas were the object of a judicial auction sale and were subsequently bought by a group led by Silvia and Antonio Ricci. In collaboration with the competent authorities, actions of conservation and recovery were carried out to preserve the historic dwellings and the garden, which was subsequently returned to public enjoyment. The two main villas present an eclectic style. An element of note is given by the dome clad in polychrome majolica of Albisola. The villas, today part of Relais & Chateaux, are immersed in a vast visitable park, rich in botanical species., The Gardens of the Villa della Pergola develop around the two main villas and are situated in a privileged position with a view over the sea, and are visitable with guided visits. They cover an area of 2.2 hectares and were created from the nineteenth century onwards; thanks to the actions undertaken by the various owners, the gardens harmoniously combine the typical Mediterranean vegetation with a rich variety of exotic plants. The intervention of the McMurdos was distinguished principally by the transformation of an ancient Ligurian agricultural holding into a sumptuous park, through the introduction of numerous ornamental plants and the use of balustrades in terracotta to delimit the most suggestive panoramic points. Upon this layout, from 1922 by the work of the Hanbury family, the park of the villa knew a period of notable development, and it is in this period that it assumed an increasingly exotic and botanically rich aspect; systematic actions were undertaken to enrich the plant collections, which included the addition of splendid specimens of palms such as the washingtonias, the date palms and the canariensis, besides the Mexican cycads. With the passing of the decades and of the owners, among whom Sir Walter Hamilton Dalrymple and the descendants of the Hanbury family stand out, the park saw the addition of new plant species, fountains and landscape works of value. After the great work of recovery that took place with the new ownership from 2006, the gardens have been tended by the landscape architect Paolo Pejrone. One of the distinctive characteristics of the park is its evergreen flora, which combines with the tropical plants brought to the place by the Hanbury family, a mixture that includes trees such as the maritime pines, the olives, the cypresses and the cedars of Lebanon, blending harmoniously with exotic plants such as jacarandas, giant strelitzias, araucarias and a specimen of the rare Wollemia nobilis. A significant aspect of the Gardens is the creation of renowned botanical collections: the collection of wisterias is considered the most important in Italy, with about 40 different varieties, and the collection of agapanthus counts more than 500 different species, the largest in Europe both for quantity of specimens and for number of different species. In addition the park hosts a vast collection of citrus trees coming from various parts of the world. The Gardens won the competition "the Most Beautiful Park in Italy" 2020/2022, and since 2025 they are a Partner Garden of the Royal Horticultural Society, one of the few gardens to boast this recognition outside the United Kingdom., The communal territory of Alassio is crossed by the A10 Genoa-Ventimiglia motorway, which presents no junction dedicated exclusively to the town. Also present are the strada statale 1 Via Aurelia, which permits the connection with Albenga to the east and Laigueglia to the west, the strada provinciale 18 Alassio-Testico, the strada provinciale 55 Bossoleto-Crocetta di Alassio and the strada statale 717 di Villanova di Albenga. Alassio is crossed by the Genoa-Ventimiglia railway, single-track in the Alassio stretch, where the railway station of Alassio stands, provided with three tracks at the service of travellers; for the latter the sinking of the railway bed with the construction of an underground station is planned, analogously to what has happened with the station of Sanremo, placed on the same route. The original station of Alassio, built in wooden materials, saw its inauguration in 1872 by the Societa per le Ferrovie dell'Alta Italia, an entity that subsequently became part of the Rete Mediterranea; subsequently, in 1888, the goods warehouse was built, thus widening the functions of the station. The railway station of Alassio saw the birth of a new building for passengers thanks to the work of the engineer Achille Manfredini, who completed the project in 1915. This railway area is characterised by three tracks, each with its own platform and connected to one another by an underpass. The station has been equipped with technologies for the monitoring and management of railway traffic and, for a certain period, has been controlled remotely from the operations centre of Albenga., In the course of the years Alassio has been the seat of numerous events of various kinds. Among these are counted local initiatives, such as the beauty competition Miss Muretto, and cultural events, among them the annual literary prizes of September, namely the centolibri, destined for writers and publishing houses: the literary prize "Un autore per l'Europa" in September, and the prize for publishing houses "Un editore per l'Europa", also in September. Every year, beginning from 1954, Alassio becomes the theatre of the most followed and deeply rooted bocce competition in Italy, which enjoys fame also beyond the national borders: known as the "Targa d'Oro", this contest, which sees the participation of teams composed of four players each, takes place under the auspices of the Federazione Italiana Bocce. Alassio presents itself for years as the town that hosts the summer training of the women's national volleyball team, and organises an international volleyball tournament, the Challenge Cup, which is played at the Palalassio "Lorenzo Ravizza". For cycling, in 1951 Alassio was the arrival point of the second stage of the Giro d'Italia, won by Antonio Bevilacqua, and from 1979 to 1997 it was also the arrival point of the Nice-Alassio. Alassio has been and continues to be one of the points of passage for the cyclists who take part in the classic road race Milan-Sanremo. A further cycling event in the town is the Granfondo del Muretto di Alassio MTB, which consists of a single-track course of 38 kilometres, beginning near the sea, developing through hill and panoramic routes, and then concluding again near the sea. The Circolo Nautico "Al Mare" of Alassio was founded on 3 June 1925, named in this way because its first seat was situated near the beach in the vicinity of the Pontile Bestoso; from the nineteen-sixties the seat has been transferred to the "Luca Ferrari" marina. One of the most active amateur sporting associations in the whole of Europe, it has given Italian sport numerous champions who have taken part in various editions of the Olympic Games, and it has organised over the years four world championships -- of the Flying Dutchman class in 1967 and 1982, the Finn Gold Cup in 1982 and the D-ONE in 2012 -- besides numerous European and national championships and a great many international regattas. Its sailing school has been active for 43 years. Introduced in France, the discipline of Wave Walking found a fervent following at Alassio from 2018, consolidating itself as a significant point of reference for this particular form of thalassotherapy in the Italian panorama; Wave Walking is based on a walk that takes place with the body partially submerged in the water of the sea. The enthusiasm for this discipline led to the creation of the Alassio Wave Walking Cup. The activity of trekking in the vicinity of Alassio concentrates principally on the surrounding hill zones, where an intense network of routes and tracks through woods and olive groves makes the practice accessible to beginners as much as to the most expert enthusiasts; these paths are articulated in historic routes and tracks used in the past by shepherds and woodcutters. One of the itineraries is the via Julia Augusta, which extends from Albenga as far as Alassio; setting out from Alassio in the direction of Albenga, one has the opportunity to discover the ancient ruins of the Roman town of Albingaunum. Another option is the path called "del rosmarino", positioned at an altitude of 200 metres, which begins at Alassio and leads to the neighbouring borgo of Laigueglia. The Palazzetto dello Sport Lorenzo Ravizza, sometimes called Palalassio or Palaravizza, is a multifunctional facility in via Neghelli, in the western zone of Alassio, with a capacity of 1,950 spectators, where training is regularly held in disciplines such as basketball, volleyball, roller figure skating, kick boxing, gym activity, artistic gymnastics and contemporary dance. The municipal stadium "Sandro Ferrando", inaugurated in 2011, is designed to accommodate up to 1,600 spectators and includes a bar as well as changing rooms; the playing surface, of synthetic grass certified by the Lega Nazionale Dilettanti, is suitable for hosting matches up to the level of Serie D., In 1827 the population of Alassio amounted to about 7,000 inhabitants. In 1830 the number reduced slightly to 6,848 individuals, distributed in 833 dwellings and belonging to 1,602 families; of these, 600 people resided in the frazione of Moglio, 300 in the frazione of Solva and 60 in the frazione of Caso. In 1834 the total population fell further to 6,300 individuals, of whom it is estimated that more than 2,000 were sailors. The most substantial groups of foreign residents in the comune are Romania with 224, Albania with 142, Egypt with 98, Morocco with 97, Bangladesh with 79, Ukraine with 67, China with 40, Germany with 28, Brazil with 27 and the Russian Federation with 22. (ottobre 2026).