The Region
Caught in a stranglehold between the Maritime Alps which join up with the Appennine chain and the sea, this region transforms this condition into unparalleled beauty.
To the east, the local inhabitants, in order to develop substenance agriculture, had to carve out tiny strips of land from the mountain. The resulting 11 000 kms of mortarless retention walls - a length equivalent to the Great Wall of China, combined with the wild and luxurious plantlife and the tiny villages exploiting the last exploitable square metre of land, redefine the term picturesque.
Genoa, with its rich architectural and artistic heritage stemming from the epoch when it was one of the Maritime Republics, and its sumptuous villas built upon the riches of sea-faring commerce, is also the natural gateway to the Western portion of Liguria, the Ponente. Geography becomes less extreme, testimonied by the presence of many renowned beach resorts and slightly more elbow-room for human settlements. All within a year-round flowered environment, for an aptly named Riviera dei Fiori.
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