The Alpini (Alpine troops) are meeting here for the Gathering of their First Group this year.
The Alpine troops of the First Group are the Alpines of the North-West of Italy and about one-hundred thousand people are expected to visit the city in the month of October 2019.
Along the streets of Savona will parade the eighty thousand members of the 25 sections of Alpine troops coming from different North-western regions: Val d'Aosta, Piedmont, Liguria and even neighboring France, joined by their family members and caretakers (because many of them are very old).
The 51 Groups of the Savona Section are already operational in the preparation of this important event and they have worked towards preparing a schedule of events for their arrival.
Since the event has happened yet, I cannot talk more in depth about it – but I will in my next blog.
So let me introduce Savona a bit more…
Savona is a town of over 60,000 inhabitants, capital of the homonymous province in Liguria and neighbor of Genoa.
The city is located on the western Ligurian Riviera, near the Letimbro river and at the junction of two freeways: the Fiori freeway which connects Genoa with Ventimiglia (which became internationally notorious in recent times for the collapsing of its bridge) and the A6 Savona-Turin freeway.
If we consider its greater urban area, including the neighboring municipalities of Albissola Marina, Albisola Superiore, Quiliano and Vado Ligure, the entire urban area reaches 150,000 inhabitants.
The symbol of the city is the Tower named after the navigator Leon Pancaldo who sailed in the 1600s.
Its port is one of the most important in the Mediterranean for tourism and trade and many cruise ships and cargo ships dock here every week.
The main street of modern Savona is Via Paleocapa, Paleocapa street, a large artery with arcades that runs through the city from the port to the train station whereas Via Pia, Pia street, flanked by splendid noble palaces, brings the visitors back to the Middle Ages.
It’s worth visiting the Torre del Brandale, a beautiful Bell Tower which dates back to 1178: in ancient times it was called Turris Perforata, because it rests on six arches.
The Torre del Brandale, adorned with a clock with majolica coats of arms, was the principal of the 50 towers which, thanks to the fires lit on the top, served as lighthouses.
The ancient Palazzo Gavotti houses the art collections of the local art museum, where you can admire large polyptychs and precious handmade plates. A section of Contemporary Art completes the Picture Gallery while the nearby Palazzo Pozzobonello houses in its halls a remarkable collection of works from the Ligurian Renaissance as well as 16th and 17th century ceramics.
The original Cathedral of Savona was destroyed in the construction of the Priamar fortress. The Duomo Cathedral, rebuilt from 1589 to 1605, presents a redundant facade and a dome from the 19th century. The Cathedral of Savona also preserves numerous pictorial works of different origins.
On the hilly relief in front of the sea the Priamar Fortress stands out, a sixteenth-century structure that rises on the ruins of a Roman village. In the nineteenth century this became the military prison and today the Fortress is organized in a museum attached to an archaeological area.
From the center of Savona it is possible to reach the most important beaches. Among the most famous to remember is the Fornaci Beach as well as the Natarella Beach and Zinola Beach which are located on the western border of the city.
The culinary traditions of Savona combine the typical Ligurian flavors with those of the Piedmontese cuisine: the menus of the Savona locales are a triumph of fish but also of truffles, pesto sauce, farinata, focaccia, mushrooms and tasty meats, all seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, in the prized Taggiasca variety.
Leon Pancaldo Tower, landmark of Savona city and located in its port area
