Andora
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Andora, or Marina di Andora as it is often called, is a town on the Italian Riviera in the region of Liguria and in the province of Savona.
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[edit] Geography and climate
Andora is situated in the western part of the Italian Riviera between Capo Mele in the east and Capo Mimosa in the west.This coastal area is called the Riviera delle Palme,(Palms Riviera) which is centred on Savona. To the west is the Riviera dei Fiori(Flowers Riviera) which stretches from the French border to Cervo. Andora had a population of 6767 in 2001 which swells to almost 10 times this in the summer months. (1) The town is situated on the banks of the River Merula where it flows into the sea. It is 55 km from Savona, the main town in the province,15km from Imperia, 40km from San Remo and 100km from Genoa. The territory forms part of the Mountain Community of Ingauna.Some of the parishes under Andora are Conna, Colla Micheri,San Bartolomeo,San Pietro, Stellanello, Rollo. (2)
[edit] Tourism and Recreation
Andora is a popular holiday resort thanks to the long sandy beach and the historical hinterland. Since 1986 Andora has held the Bandiera Blu (blue flag) awarded by Italian authorities for clean waters and beaches.(3)Accommodation is plentiful in hotels, bed and brekfast establishments and camp sites. There are public and private lidos offering services such as sunbed hire etc. Various water sports are practised including sailing, canoeing, surfing, kite surfing and wind sailing. A diving club Sport 7 is based in the Marina and the sailing and canoeing club to the east of the port. It has a marina with over 850 moorings ,mainly for local boat owners, but 56 places are reserved for tourists in transit to the area. Whale watching trips depart in the summer from the marina. Apart from water sports there are bowls clubs, tennis clubs and horse riding stables at San Pietro. The area is popular for trekking (guided walks are offered in the summer)and mountain biking. The Parco delle Farfalle has a roller skating rink and there is a cycling velodrome in the centre.(4) It has over fifty restaurants and many bars. Concerts are held in the summer in the outdoor arena at the Parco delle Farfalle as well,in the town centre and in the historic setting of the mediaeval St James and St Phillip Church. There is also an open air cinema in the summer months.
[edit] History
The first settlement here dates back to the 8th century BC Er with the Focesi escaping from Asia Minor.(5) During the Roman era Castrum Andorae underwent substantial development due to its strategic location on the Via Julia Augusta. After the invasion of the Barbarians and Goths in 951 it formed part of the Marca Aleramica and from 1091 passed to Bonifacio di Vasto. From 1125 The Clavesana family took over and constructed a defensive fortification mainly to control the means of communication and enhanced the town with towers, churches and town walls. Due to a war the family had to sell the territory and its castle in 1252 to the Republic of Genoa initiating a period of five centuries of peace.(6) In this period olive trees were grown and olive oil produced, fishing was practised and boat building begun. At the end of the eighteenth century the area became under the control of Napoleon Bonaparte in the new department of Montenotte. It later fell to the rule of Sardinia and then Italy.(7) From a population of 1940 in 1861 it grew to 3328 in 1961 to 6068 in 1981 and by 2001 had reached 6767.
[edit] Places of Interest and monuments
There is a historical nucleus on a hill inland around the remains of the ‘paraxo’ Clavesana Castle which was once home to the governor of Genova . Just opposite is the chapel of St Nicholas and ruins of some mediaeval houses. The Church of St James and St Phillip which is based on the Cathedral in Albenga was built in local stone with columns and pillars in the late Romanic period. A littlefurther down the hill is the castle Tower which was built betwee 1220 and 1240 remains intact. A bridge on the River Merula with 10 arches is called the ‘Roman Bridge’ but it was actually built in the Middle Ages on the site of a pre-existing older structure. The St John the Baptist church dates back to the 15th century in the parish of the same name. The bastione built in defence against the Saracens in the 11th Century which now houses a pizzeria.
[edit] Events
Sale e pesce (salt and fish) in May is a gastronomic festival that lasts two days that celebrates Andora and its commercial activity through two aspects characterising its territory; the earth and the sea. The festival of Saint Rita on the 22nd May in the Saint Rita square just near the sea. Roses are blessed in the chapel dedicated to the Saint and is followed closely by the locals who have strong religious belief in her. The festival of St John on the 24th June celebrates the saint of the same name and is marked by religious festivities in addition to a ‘sagra’, a gathering of the local people in the grounds of the church with an outdoor food and wine festival to raise funds for the local community. The Beer Festival at the end of June is one of the most popular events in Andora with visitors coming from the north of Italy with live music and a maxi discotheque in the outdoor arena near the beach. Several regattas for various categories of sailing craft mainly in the summer months. A monthly antiques market is held in the town centre. Rollo hosts a Festival of Aromatic Herbs for a weekend at the end of June.(8)
[edit] Economy
The main economic activity of Andora is based on beach tourism thanks to it having one of the largest stretches of sandy beach in the western Italian Riviera. In the summer the population reaches 70,000 due to the numerous villas and holiday homes. Most visitors come from Piedmont, Lombardy and the Aosta Valley as well as from overseas. It also is an agricultural town with fields of basil grown to make the world famous ‘pesto’ sauce, fruits, vegetables, olives for oil and vineyards.
[edit] Transport
Andora is on the coast road the Via Aurelia. There is an exit for Andora on the A10 motorway between Ventimiglia and Genova There is a rail station on the line between Ventimiglia (and France) and Genoa. There are buses to San Remo in the west and to FinaleLigure in the east. The nearest airports are Genoa GOA Cristforo Colombo and Nice NCE Cote D’azur.
[edit] External links
[edit] Sources
- (1) http://www.provincia.savona.it/provincia/comuni/0comunixx.asp?c=6
- (2) http://italia.indettaglio.it/ita/liguria/andora.html
- (3)http://www.ilvostrogiornale.it/2007/07/13/regione-lunedi-cerimonia-di-premiazione-per-le-bandiere-blu/
- (4)http://www.rivieraligure.it/IT/citta.aspx?citta=andora&c=125
- (5)http://www.andora.it/lacitta/storia.php
- (6)http://www.inforiviera.it/blu/andora.cfm
- (7)Comunità Montana Ingauna, Guide Gallery, 1990
- (8)http://www.ponentenotizie.it/articolo_sanita.asp?id_art=11938
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