Madrelingua Italiana

Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy; its capital is Genoa. It overlooks the Ligurian Sea to the south and borders France to the west, Piedmont to the northwest, Emilia-Romagna to the northeast and Tuscany to the east. It comprises the provinces of Imperia, La Spezia, Savona and Genoa. The region occupies the Tyrrhenian side of the Maritime Alps and the Ligurian Apennines. The territory of Liguria is for two thirds mountainous and for the rest hilly. The very Alpine section, which covers the western part of the region, is represented by the Maritime Alps, which reach 2,200m / 7,218ft. Morphologically, the region is almost totally absent of flat areas, as the reliefs reach the sea in a overhanging fashion. West of Genoa extends the so-called Riviera di Ponente, fringed in several points by narrow and sandy beaches; the coastal strip east of the city is called Riviera di Levante, and is characterized by numerous and marked promontories and by rare and small beaches. The weather conditions of the region are quite exceptional, as the Ligurian Sea, already very deep even at a short distance from the coast, exerts an extraordinary mitigating action on the climate. In addition to this, the reliefs form a barrier that protects the region from the cold winds coming from the north. The area with the mildest climate is the Riviera di Ponente, protected by the Ligurian Alps: the temperature here is comparable to that of the Gulf of Naples. The Riviera di Levante, which the Apennines protect to a lesser extent due to the low altitude, is more rainy and registers winter temperatures below a few degrees compared to that of the Ponente (west) Riviera. The summer average in coastal locations is about 23 - 24 °C / 73.4 - 75.2 °F. Liguria is among the regions of Italy that have been most transformed by man. The hillsides and mountains have been terraced over the centuries to make them more suitable for crops. Among the protected areas, there are the Regional Park of the Portofino Mountain, the Gallinara Island Nature Reserve, in front of Alassio, the Palmaria Island Natural Park, in the Gulf of La Spezia, and the Mount Beigua Park, in the Ligurian Apennines. Also within the latter are the Agora Reserve and the Park of S. Stefano Aveto. The agricultural sector has focused on some specific high-quality and commercial products: a well-established olive growing, biological fruits and vegetables such as artichokes, asparagus, apricots and especially the flowers and ornamental plants grown in the greenhouses of the Sanremo area, which consistently responds to the international demand. In the wine sector, Liguria produces renowned D.O.C. wines, such as the Cinque Terre Sciacchetrà, the Pigato, the Rossese di Dolceacqua and the Colli di Luni Bianco. Liguria lives essentially of two resources, the climate and the sea. The Ligurian economy is based on vacation and beach tourism, as well as on port activities. Therefore, the main factor for the economy is tourism. The Cinque Terre is a non-linear part of the coast in the Liguria region, part of the Italian Riviera, which includes five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. The coast, the five villages and the surrounding hills are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tourist season began in 1830 and was, initially, an elite type: well-to-do classes mainly looking for climatic oases along the coast. Two decades later, Liguria, thanks to the motorway and rail links with the main cities of the Po Valley, became a destination for foreign tourists. Sanremo, Bordighera, Alassio, Santa Margherita and Rapallo are just some of the prominent localities of the eastern and western Ligurian Riviera. To date, the most popular attractions among tourists are beaches, cities, art events and cuisine. Liguria is the original source of pesto, one of the most popular sauces of Italian cuisine, made with fresh basil, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic and Parmesan cheese.