Oneglia and Porto Maurizio

Oneglia, capital of the Ligurian province which bears its name, situated 50 km away from the French border, was born as a single administrative unit in 1923, when the municipalities of Oneglia and Porto Maurizio were joined together.

Oneglia, founded in 980, had throughout its history alternate relations with the Republic of Genoa. It was sold to the Savoia by the Doria for 41000 scudi, and in 1580 it was awarded the title of City. In 1792 6600 cannon shots poured in over the city as an act of reprisal. It suffered several sieges, and was ransacked by Napoleon, but each time it rose again. It was the birthplace of Admiral Andrea Doria, Hero of the Republic of Genoa, of the literate Viesseux and of the writer Edmondo De Amicis.

The ancient nucleus developed in the area now called Castelvecchio, and in the period of medieval Communes it moved towards the sea. Today Oneglia is mainly a commercial centre.

Porto Maurizio, once a Roman military port, appears as a typical Ligurian medieval village built high on a promontory. "Well built city, like a ship's bow in the sea", in the words of the Ligurian writer Giovanni Boine.

The city still houses several remains of the Medieval periods, like slate portals, ancient coats of arms and the city walls dating back to the XIV century. Other important buildings are the Paraxo (XII century), the Governor's Palace, Palazzo Pagliari (XV century), Palazzo Lavagna (XVII century), S.Leonardo's church and the House of the Saint.

The Basilica of S.Maurizio, built between 1781 and 1832 is the largest in Liguria, and the interior of the building, topped by a large cupola, is quite imposing. Also, the Collegiate Church of S.Maurizio is beautiful.

The two villages are today a magnet for tourists and an international cultural pole: beautiful beaches (Spiaggia d'Oro) where it is possible to practice aquatic sports and sailing regattas, the national exposition of paintings "Premio Città di Imperia" in September, the International chess tournament, the touristic port.

But Porto Maurizio and Oneglia also embody the two typical symbols of the Ligurian civilization: the sea and the olive.

Porto Maurizio, chosen in 1797 as the capital of the Province of the Olive, hosts the Naval Museum of Western Liguria. Consisting of 15 sections, it houses about 10000 finds and relics, an in its rooms ancient Liguria revives through the reconstruction of settings and structures. The most interesting sections are those dedicated to shipbuilding industry, where you can find the only complete collection of shipbuilding tools; to navigation tools, sextants and compasses; and the one reserved to cartography, modelling and documentary science. Every item item in the museum is part of the histury of the Ligurian and Mediterranean civilization. The museum is supported by a thematic library, dedicated to all the subjects someway related to navigation, like geographic exploration, sea commerce, portual craftmanship. Finally, historical and photographical archives are accessible.

Oneglia is the italian capital of the olive and of olive oil production. In Liguria,according to the most ancient historical documents, the olive tree was raised since the 6th century b.C., but the period of greatest development was during the Middle Ages. In 1600 Oneglia controlled oil commerce over the entire Europe. And today Oneglia houses the Museum of the Olive, the only one in the Mediterranean basin, which received a special mention from the European Museum of the Year Award. The visitor can follow the millenary history of the olive,its cultivation and the ways of oil production, walking through settings made up of original tools and items found in Europe, Africa and Asia. The different kinds of oil mills, from the one moved by a mule to the hydraulic one, amphorae, jars and otres, oil lamps coming from Italy and foreign countries like Egypt, Iran, Yemen and Tibet; containers, bottles and tools from the Greek and the Etrusques are precious archeological finds dating back to the period between the 4th b.C and the 5th a.C. centuries.

Several documents regarding tools for oil measure and oil taxes are displayed.

The museum is enriched by exhaustive captions and audiovisives.

The museum's address is Via Garessio 13.

After leaving the museums, taking a walk under the archways and along the winding walls enriched with counterforts of Porto Maurizio, a town like a belvedere over the sea, or exploring the arcades of Oneglia with their flower-shaped lamps means completing a journey through Liguria's history and culture.