WHY SAVONA?
Savona, the City of Popes
The history of Savona is full of famous people and traditions, which make the city a leading centre of attraction in Liguria: Pope Sixtus IV, Pope Julius II, Giuseppe Mazzini and Sandro Pertini are some of the personalities who made Savona world-famous. One of its most popular traditions is the Good Friday Procession, during which several Brotherhoods parade through the city centre and people can admire the casse, wooden pedestals that often feature veritable theatre sets. The 21 chimes that toll every evening in Piazza Mameli in memory of the victims of all wars are an equally important and cherished – albeit less ancient – tradition.
A major Italian port and an outlet for Piedmont and part of central Europe, Savona’s main imports are coal for distribution to the Bormida Valley and oil for refineries near Trecate and Novara. A main centre of the Italian iron industry, it also has shipbuilding, mechanical and electrical engineering, sulfur and glass works, tanneries, and food processing.
