Tom`s travels: Albenga, Alassio & Laigueglia (09/08/2021)

On the last day trip from Riva Ligure, we decided to take a train and head further east this time reaching the city of Albenga. The day was forecast to be fantastic and sunny and once we reached the city and got off the train we headed on to visit the old town on foot. As we entered the historic center, which is one of the best-preserved in the region and still features most of its medieval walls which fully enclose the historic area, we walked through the picturesque narrow streets. We then reached the church of Santa Maria in Fontibus dating to the high middle ages with a nice gothic portal but which was unfortunately closed. From the street in front of it though we could admire five of the thirteen medieval towers which still dot the city. Albenga was in fact known as the city of one hundred towers due to the high number of these defensive structures, which like in other medieval cities around the country, were a symbol of power rather than an actual system of defense. To the left, right in front of the church was the Torre Cazzulini while in front of us, the Torre del Municipio, Torre Lengueglia Costa, Torre Comunale, and the Cathedral's bell tower. All tall, slim, and built in the typical red brick they were really worth admiring. From there we then entered the nearby Cathedral, a beautiful Romanesque structure from the 12th century that still features the medieval exterior and interior layout, including columns and some traces of frescoes, and a baroque ceiling added several centuries later. After the visit to the Cathedral, we then decided to visit the nearby Baptistry which required an entrance ticket. We purchased it at the Diocesan Museum nearby, which we would then visit later, and a kind lady then guided us through the baptistry telling us about its history and architecture. It was an incredible early-Christian monument and one of the best-preserved and most ancient in Italy. Built between the 5th and 6th centuries it features an upper octagonal plan and a lower thicker decagonal plan. The interior is quite spacious and features the baptismal font at its center and one of the niches an amazing early Christian mosaic from the 6th century depicting the monogram of christ surrounded by twelve doves. From the Baptistry we then headed back to the Diocesan Museum hosted inside the bishop's palace; here we saw some nice religious artifacts and medieval objects as well as some of the palace's rooms still featuring parts of frescoes remaining. After that we headed back out into the city and strolled a bit around admiring the rest of the old town, passing through the central Piazza San Michele with the nice Palazzo Peloso Cepolla with its medieval tower, and some other minor squares and streets. Then we decided to head on, and after leaving the historic center, we crossed a modern bridge over the Centa river, which runs just by the city, and went up the nearby hills. Here we followed a marked trail that coincides with the ancient Roman road, Via Julia Augusta, which provided us with incredible views of the coast down below. Not far over the beaches, we spotted the small Gallinara island, which is said to have once been where Saint Martin of Tours took refuge towards the end of the fourth century. It is now a private island and a protected area. Continuing on along the trail we enjoyed the beautiful views and that warm sunny day until we reached the town of Alassio after descending back down from the hills. Here we first passed by some nice villas and then reached the waterfront where the 16th-century watchtower Torrione Della Coscia was located. We walked along the main pedestrian way with the sea to our left and the sections of private beaches and sun umbrellas, all the while looking for a place to have lunch as we went. Not long after we then reached the small old town where the buildings were much older and closer together forming the typical Ligurian streets known as caruggi. Here we eventually found a restaurant, Restaurant One, which served sushi and we both took an all-you-can-eat buffet menu. After lunch and a last stroll through the old town, we then headed on, continuing along the pretty waterfront until we finally found a spot that featured an extremely tiny public beach, as is typical in all of the region. We managed to find a spot right at the end of the beach and from there had a couple of refreshing swims and lay a bit in the sun. After the break, we then continued on this time walking along the beach and shoreline until we reached the next and final town, Laigueglia. Part of the club of the most beautiful villages in Italy, it features a picturesque old town right on the seaside. As we approached the historic center we passed by the 16th-century watchtower, used in the past to defend against marauding pirates, and then walked through the pretty narrow streets, the caruggi. We then reached and visited the town's main church, San Matteo, which dominates the town due to its slightly elevated position and its large size. Built in the 18th century in a late Baroque style it featured a nice pompous facade and interior, and two elegant twin bell towers. After one last stroll through the old town, it was time for us to go, so we reached the small train station right outside the city walls and from there took our train back to Riva Ligure.