Savona: Art, Fortress and the Ligurian Coast

Savona between art, archaeology and the sea

Savona combines a multifaceted cultural history with fortress architecture, views of the Ligurian coast and a long sandy beach. This creates a destination where you can combine museum visits, historic buildings, the sea and an excursion into wooded natural landscapes.

Museums of art and the past

The Pinacoteca Civica showcases the artistic development of Savona and Liguria from the 14th to the 20th century. Donato de’ Bardi’s Crocifissione is considered a unique work in the panorama of Renaissance painting. Another outstanding work is Vincenzo Foppa’s Pala Fornari.

At the Museo della Ceramica di Savona, more than 1,000 works in the Palazzo del Monte di Pietà convey five centuries of ceramic history from the Renaissance to the present day. The exhibition also includes the immersive installation Quadrisfera by astrophysicist Paco Lanciano, which conveys the history of Ligurian ceramics through images and multimedia impressions.

The Civico Museo Archeologico e della Città di Savona presents a tour on two floors with ceramics as its central theme and showcases the most important archaeological sites excavated to date in the Savona area. You can also visit an excavation area of a Byzantine necropolis dating from the 4th to the 7th century AD, where traces of the village of the Liguri Sabazi are visible. The museum is accessible and features a tactile tour with Braille labels for visitors with visual impairments.

Priamàr, churches and historic towers

On the Priamàr hill, Genoa began construction of the fortress on 2 August 1542; by 25 April 1543, the initially constructed complex was capable of defence. The Priamar complex now houses the Civico Museo Archeologico e della Città di Savona and the Museo Sandro Pertini e Renata Cuneo.

Paths, bastions and balconies of the fortress form a promenade with views of the sea, the mountains, the city and the harbour. The underground Priamàr comprises galleries, passageways and underground rooms; the Gruppo Speleologico Savonese DLF organises guided tours of them.

The Cattedrale di N.S. Assunta was built in the 16th century and consecrated in 1605. The Cappella Sistina in Savona was created as a funerary chapel for Leonardo della Rovere and Luchina Monleone. It was restored between 1762 and 1764 and transformed from a Renaissance funerary chapel into an ornate Baroque church.

The Appartamenti di Pio VII preserve the original furnishings arranged under the direction of General Chabrol for the Pope’s stay, as well as paintings and sculptures by important artists. The Torre del Brandale has interiors with paintings, inscriptions and sculptures illustrating centuries of history from the Middle Ages to the 19th century. From its belfry, views extend over the harbour and the city of Savona and along the Ligurian coast towards Genoa and Portofino.

Beach and excursion into the surrounding area

The Spiaggia Prolungamento a Mare features an approximately one-kilometre-long sandy beach with a sandy seabed that slopes gently towards the open sea. It includes two freely accessible beaches and eight bathing establishments: Bagni Savona, Bagni Aurora, Bagni Iris, Bagni Wanda, Bagni Nilo, Bagni Anna, Bagni Sirena and Bali Beach.

In the wider area around Savona, the route from the Santuario N.S. di Misericordia to the Riserva dell’Adelasia can be walked freely and independently on any day of the year through woodland and interesting natural landscapes.

Other places in the same destination area: Stella, Marina di Andora, Millesimo, Menosio, Testico, Andora, Bardino Nuovo, Dego

To the overview of the wider travel destination: Savona.