Liguria

48 images | VIEW SLIDESHOW |

Liguria is one of Italy's smaller regions, squeezed in between the glitz of the French Côte d'Azur and Monte Carlo, the mountains, the Mediterranean and Tuscany to the southeast. It is here that the long Roman road the Via Aureila ends its traverse of the west coast of Italy beginning in Rome and ending at the French border. Once in Liguria the modern Aurelia skirts the huge grubby sprawl of Genoa which doesn't look its best from this viewpoint, but actually houses wonderful...
more »

Liguria is one of Italy's smaller regions, squeezed in between the glitz of the French Côte d'Azur and Monte Carlo, the mountains, the Mediterranean and Tuscany to the southeast. It is here that the long Roman road the Via Aureila ends its traverse of the west coast of Italy beginning in Rome and ending at the French border. Once in Liguria the modern Aurelia skirts the huge grubby sprawl of Genoa which doesn't look its best from this viewpoint, but actually houses wonderful architecture, art and food. Heading west, the Ligurian Riviera becomes less developed and sections of the old road appear between Alassio and Albenga passing seldom visited Roman burial complexes and sections of paved road disappearing through the wooded hills above the sparkling Mediterranean. Here it is generally known as the Via Augusta, named after the Emperor who extended the Aurelia. There is not a lot left to see, the dust of ancient buildings and bones having been long scattered by the winds. At Laigueglia, when asked for directions to the old Roman road most locals seem not to believe that it still existed and I was almost going to give up when I across an unprepossessing track that led to a stretch of what is now clearly marked as the Via Augusta. Maybe I am beginning to get familiar with the smell of Roman dust. From the old stones of the Aurelia you frequently catch sight of the impressive elevated sections of the autostrada that has adopted the name now rushing heavy traffic over the steep Ligurian hills covered with hothouses and vines. The last important Roman site before the border is on the east side of Ventimiglia, where amongst unprepossessing surroundings, stands the remains of a Roman theatre right next to busy stretch of road built right on top of the old route.
« less

Powered by PhotoShelter