VENTIMIGLIA HOTEL, VENTIMIGLIA RESIDENCE, VENTIMIGLIA HOLIDAYS

Ventimiglia hotel, Ventimiglia holidays.
Ventimiglia, Italy`s last town before the border with France, greets the tourist in three different guises, not least in terms of logistics: archaeological, Medieval and modern. Archaeological Ventimiglia (on the eastern side of the modern town) dates back to Roman times. In this veritable open-air museum . Medieval Ventimiglia stands high on the crest of a rock, dominating the right bank of the river Roia. The layout of the town mirrors that of typical Ligurian villages: narrow cobbled streets, steep alleyways, covered passage-ways, stone houses and archivolts. The main street (now Via Garibaldi) is dominated by aristocratic palazzi (belonging to the Galleani and Orengo families, amongst others) with imposing marble atria and staircases, solid doors, vaulted ceilings, coats of arms and bas-reliefs and, inside, courtyards and hanging gardens. Standing along the ancient route to Provence, porta Canarda (13th century) is the last external fortification on the western edge of the town. It is decorated with a marble bas-relief depicting the arms of the Banco di San Giorgio, evidence of its reign over Ventimiglia. Following the sixteenth century walls of the town until the houses peter out, one comes to the isolated church of San Michele, built in warm-hued stone. The apse, round arches and narrow windows remain intact in their primitive form. A flight of stairs in the centre of the church leads down to the crypt, the vault of which is supported by columns (one of which is a Roman milestone; two of the granite pillars are said to come from the remains of an ancient temple dedicated to Castor and Pollux). Modern Ventimiglia is crossed by three routes, the direction of which is determined by the bridge over the river Roia: the town centre and sea, France and Piedmont (with its ancient wooden and studded iron leaves, the sixteenth century porta Piemonte marks the way to Colle di Tenda, the pass which links Liguria to Piedmont). In the centre of the town one finds elegantly eclectic palazzi, well-stocked boutiques, a range of facilities for tourists, excellent hotels and amusements. Along the seafront, embellished with palm trees, parks and gardens, there are private and public beaches, night spots, restaurants and trattorias. Plum-central Via Cavour (the town`s main street), Via della Repubblica and Piazza Martiri della Libertà are thronged with every possible expression of Ventimiglia`s commercial life; here even the most cosmopolitan tourists will find something to their taste, no matter how unusual. Then there is the large open-air market held every Friday, a traditional rendezvous for visitors - most of whom come from France - who fill the whole town with a buzz each week, combining shopping and a pleasurable weekend away with a little sightseeing. What better opportunity for a glimpse of sixteenth and seventeenth century art than the central church of Sant`Agostino with its exquisite convent. At the top of the town stands the "forte dell`Annunziata", a chance to admire centuries-old furniture from ancient Albintimilium, housed in the Girolamo Rossi archaeological museum. The calendar of not-to-be-missed events which bring visitors back to Ventimiglia year after year includes the Battle of the Flowers (July) and Medieval August (trials and tournaments between the Sestrieri or quarters of the town).

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