Liguria
Liguria, a coastal region of north-western Italy, is the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and food.
Location
Liguria borders France to the west, Piedmont to the north, and Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany to the east. It lies on the Ligurian Sea. Liguria is a narrow strip of land, enclosed between the sea and the Alps and the Apennines mountains, it is a winding arched extension from Ventimiglia to La Spezia and is one of the smallest regions in Italy. Its surface area is 5,416.03 square Kilometres, corresponding to 1.18% of the whole national surface area, with the following subdivision: 3524.08 kilometres mountain (65% of the total) and 891.95 square kilometres hill (35% of the total).Geography
0% Lowland – 65% Mountain – 35% Hill
Its shape is that of a thin strip of land, from 7 to 35 Km wide (respectively above Voltri and in the high mountain area around Imperia), on average about 240 Km long, lying in a semicircle around the Ligurian Sea and with convexity facing north; comprised between the sea and the watershed line of the Maritime Alps and the nothern Apennines, which at some points it crosses (for example in the Savona and Genoa mountains). Some mountains rise above 2000 m.; the watershed line runs at an average altitude of about 1.000 metres.
The continental shelf, which is very narrow, goes down almost immeditely to considerable marine depths. The coastline is 315 Km long. Except for the Portovenere and Portofino promontories, it is generally not very jagged, and is often high and compact. At the mouths of the biggest watercourses there are small beaches, but there are no deep bays and natural harbours except for those of Genoa and La Spezia.
The hydrographic system is made up of the short watercourses of a torrential kind. In the coastal part the most important are the Roja (in its lower course), the Nervia, and the Magra. On the inland side we find some tributaries of the Po: the two branches of the Bormida, the Scrivia and the Trebbia; there is not much water in these rivers, though the quantity increases greatly in rainy periods.
The ring of hills, lying immediately beyond the coast, together with the beneficial influx of the sea, account for the mild climate the whole year round (with average winter temperatures of 7-10° and summer temperatures of 25-28°) which makes for a pleasant stay even in the heart of winter.
Rainfall can be very abundant at times; mountains very close to the coast create an orographic effect, so Genoa can see up to 2000 mm of rain in a year; other areas instead show the normal values of the Mediterranean area (500-800 mm). Despite the high population density, woods cover half of the total area. Liguria’s Natural Reserves cover 12% of the entire Region, i.e. around 60,000 hectares of land, and they are made up of one National Reserve, six large parks, two smaller parks and three nature reserves.
Climate
he climate is mild thanks to the sea breezes that refresh in summer and mitigate in winter and to the mountainous chains that protect the coast from northern colds. This climate is ideal for an evergreen vegetation as the maritime pine, the ulivo, the palms, the cypresses and the laurel.
Major Cities
| Province | Area (km²) | Population | Density (inh./km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Province of Genoa | 1,838 | 884,945 | 481.5 |
| Province of Imperia | 1,156 | 220,217 | 190.5 |
| Province of La Spezia | 881 | 222,602 | 252.7 |
| Province of Savona | 1,545 | 865,194 | 185.2 |
What to do…
- La Riviera di Ponente, the coast that stretches from France to Genoa, and La Riviera di Levante, the coast on the Italian peninsula itself – these are the main reasons people visit Liguria
- The Cinque Terre (literally “five lands”), five tiny, picturesque fishing villages – Corniglia, Manarola, Monterosso al Mare, Riomaggiore and Vernazza – perched precariously on the rugged, rocky hills that tumble into the Mediterranean.
Cuisine
Traditional Ligurian food is some of the most refined in all of Italy. Tagliatelle is served in various forms here, and torta di verdura is a local speciality, a vegetable pie made with borage and other wild late-winter herbs. Seafood is very popular, as the sea around Liguria is abundant with life. Some typical dishes are:
- Mushroom pie
- Mussels stuffed with cheese and herbs
- Orata (a local fish) cooked with olives and potatoes
- Gattafin (pasta stuffed with beetroot, onion and parmesan)
- Soviore rice pie
Liguria is also the birthplace of pesto sauce.
In all Liguria provinces there’s a speciality called ˜Farinata™, which consists of a thin salty, pie made with chick-pea flour which is cooked in a wood oven, similar to those used for pizza. It™s eaten as antipasto or as a nutritious snack and can be topped with Gorgonzola, onion or Salsiccia.
Drinks
White and passito grapes are given to the Cooperativa del Gruppo Di Riomaggiore, a modern organization that has streamlined the winemaking process.
Sciacchetra is a prestigious dry white wine produced in the Cinque Terre.
Other white wines are Pigato and Vermentino (of which you can also find a variation of in Sardinia) which suffer from a bit from the salty sea climate in which the grapes grow, giving the wine a particular if not unique taste. Red wines are not so common and the only one worth mentioning is Rossese di Dolceacqua.
Travel Links
Local Politics
The Politics of Liguria
Italy takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democracy, whereby the President of Regional Government is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the Regional Government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Regional Council.
The Regional Council of Liguria (Consiglio Regionale della Liguria) is composed of 40 members, of which 31 are elected in provincial constituencies with proportional representation, 8 from the so-called “regional list” of the elected President and the last one is for the candidate for President who comes second, who usually becomes the leader of the opposition in the Council. If a coalition wins more than 55% of the vote, only 4 candidates from the “regional list” will be elected and the number of those elected in provincial constituencies will be 35.
The Council is elected for a five-year term, but, if the President suffers a vote of no confidence, resigns or dies, under the simul stabunt vel simul cadent prevision (introduced in 1999), also the Council will be dissolved and there will be a fresh election.
Media Galleries
