Sanremo is the capital town of the Italian Riviera of Flowers. Its climate has been widely appreciated since the 1800's, but its artistic heritage, permeated by that typically Ligurian shyness, which escapes from any focus of attention, is still largely unknown. As a matter of fact, its views are extremely suggestive and its architecture and landscape make of this strip of land expanding up to the French boundary a real pearl of Italy.

In the ancient eras it was called Matuzia, to remind one of Caio Matuzio's patrician palaces, built on the westside of the city, or, as a popular legend tells, as a memorial to the Matutia Goddess, God of the Sea and Dawn. Famous princes, literates, and scientists came to Sanremo to enjoy the deep blue sea and the intense scent of its flowers.

Sanremo lies in a wide inlet between Capo Nero and Capo Verde. It is a place where ends meet. Its old town is called “La Pigna” and is characterised by perched houses, steep streets, covered alleys, and little squares - just a glimpse of the Medieval times.
The modern town turned a village of fishermen into an elegant, world-wide famous seaside resort. Nowadays Sanremo welcomes tourists and visitors all year round and entertains them with shows and numberless amusements. Sanremo is famous for its Casino which was built in 1905 and is the undisputed realm of green cloth, roulette, and slot machines lovers.

Sanremo is the capital of the Riviera of Flowers and this can also be seen in its artistic and architectural style. The town is essentially Liberty in style, as its hotels, villas, and Casino clearly testify. During the "belle époque" period, Sanremo lived a moment of great and refined housing boom: 190 villas and 25 hotels were built from 1874 to 1906.
Some of the most luxury hotels changed their "activity", but their charm is still intact. For instance, the Town Hall is housed in what was once the splendid Bellevue Hotel, while the former Riviera Palace Hostel houses the Tourist Office. But the Liberty style went hand in hand with eclecticism at the end of the nineteenth century.
However the Orthodox Russian Church is not eclectic, despite its first appearance. The Church was consecrated to the Saviour and St Catherine and is a fairly eccentric monument. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, many Russians decided to spend their winters in Sanremo and this was due to the tsarina Maria Alexandrovna who had spent an unforgettable winter season in Sanremo in 1874 and then "promoted" it once back to her country. The Church was finished in 1913 and it is slightly similar to the church of San Basilio in Moscow.

Sanremo is the town of art, culture, and sports: fishing, diving, canoeing, wind surfing, and motor boating - together with golfing, riding, swimming, baseball, and fitness facilities.