ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Alassio - History

The Liguri Ingauni were the early inhabitants of the territory of Alassio. They probably were refugees from Albenga shunning the victorious Roman legions. They settled on the hill named "Castè", that is: castle. The sea certainly covered the plane.

Although we haven't sure evidence of it, is probably correct to assume the territory was inhabited in the times of the Romans, because of the amenity of the spot and its proximity to the municipium of Albenga. There is no evidence of a human aggregation and, similarly, there are no reliable data as regards the antiquity of the entity of the earliest medieval installations in this area. About 1000 A.C. it seems that some families went downhill from their villages to the plane and kept building little by little "Burgum Alaxy" and raising in the centre of the built-up area a small church consecrated to St. Ambrogio, the bishop of Milano.

It is historically proved that the Benedectines of the isle of Gallinara held complete religious and executive sway over the people of Alassio. The Black Monks owned lands and immovable at Alassio: abbot Giovanni di Diano sold them in 1303 to the commune of Albenga. Two centuries later Albenga availed itself of that sale laying claims and exacting the payment of heavy duties from Alassio.

Owing to the very frequent fights against Albenga and to the continuous assaults of the Turkish and Barbarescque pirates the people of Alassio began in 1521 surrounding their "Burgum" with solid walls and massive ramparts.

In 1535 Alassio, as a mark of faithfulness, put itself under the protection of the Republic of Genoa hoping to be defended against the vexations (of its enemies) to which the people of Alassio were subjected. Alassio followed the fortune of the Republic for more than three centuries and such was its faithfulness that Genoa rewarded the town with privileges and with the title of "City".

That was the most prosperous period of the history of Alassio and the town reached its greatest brightness due, above all, to its navy (the most powerful in western Riviera for number of ships and quantity of trade).

The quick and strong sailing ships of Alassio called at the ports of France, Spain, Portugal, England and Holland, and kept up a blooming trade with Sardinia and North Africa. After the fall of the Republic of Genoa, Alassio was part of the Ligurian Democratic Republic and then was annexed to the French Empire (1805). Later on, after the Restoration, for a short while, Alassio was part of the resurrected Republic of Genoa and was then definitely annexed to the Sardinian Kingdom, which in 1860 became the Italian Kingdom. 

Back to Europe

© Copyright 2000 - 2004  Eurotravelling.net  POWERED BY wORLDTRAVELGATE.NET