Albissola Marina is a coastal town in Liguria, Italy, located just east of Savona on the Riviera di Ponente. It is best known for its long-standing ceramic tradition and its sandy beaches along the Ligurian Sea.
Understand
[edit]Albissola Marina forms part of the wider “Albisole” area together with Albisola Superiore, which has been an important centre for ceramics since at least the Renaissance period. Over the 20th century, the town became an artistic hub, attracting painters and sculptors who contributed to its distinctive identity.
Today, Albissola Marina combines a traditional seaside resort atmosphere with a strong artistic character, visible in its workshops, galleries, and public art installations.
Get in
[edit]Albissola Marina is located on the Ligurian coast between Savona and Genoa.
- By train – The town lies on the Genoa–Ventimiglia railway line, served by regional trains stopping at Albissola station.
- By car – Accessible via the A10 motorway (Genova–Ventimiglia), exit at Savona.
- By air – The nearest airport is Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport.
Get around
[edit]The town is compact and easily explored on foot. Local bus services connect Albissola Marina with Savona and surrounding coastal towns.
See
[edit]- 1 Church of Our Lady of Concordia. Built in the late 16th century, but with a façade dating back to 1903, it houses an altarpiece in majolica tiles and 17th-century sculptures by Anton Maria Maragliano and Giacomo Antonio Ponsonelli.
- 2 Lungomare degli Artisti. Approximately 1 km long, it is made up of mosaics created in 1963 in a context that is almost unique in Europe. The twenty original panels (white and blue) were created by local and foreign artists attracted by the fame of Albissola, such as Giuseppe Capogrossi, Roberto Crippa, Agenore Fabbri, Lucio Fontana, Wifredo Lam, Aligi Sassu, Eliseo Salino and Asger Jorn. Alongside the panels there are also some plastic works, sculptures and ceramics; the largest is the monument to the fallen of all wars (1955), by Leoncillo Leonardi.
- 3 Villa Faraggiana (Museo di villa Faraggiana), Via Salomoni, [email protected]. Built in the 18th century by the Durazzo family, it has been owned by the Municipality of Novara since 1961, as bequeathed by the last owner. Since 1968, the villa has also housed a small museum and is open to the public for tours and exhibitions during certain periods of the year. The beautifully decorated rooms and the outdoor park, adorned with statues and fountains, are noteworthy.
- 4 Casa Mazzotti. An example of futuristic architecture.
- 5 Oratorio di San Giuseppe. Built in 1608, it houses valuable paintings and sculptures.