Savona

About Savona

Savona on the Ligurian coast is a Western Mediterranean homeport primarily for Costa Cruises, with ships using the Palacrociere terminal in town. The compact old city around Piazza Sisto IV and the 16th-century Priamar Fortress are walkable from the terminal. Motorcoach excursions run to Genoa (30 minutes), Portofino (90 minutes), and the Cinque Terre (2 hours). Pre-/post-cruise travelers often connect via Milan MXP.

• Christopher Columbus reportedly farmed land in the hills above Savona and chronicled his journeys there; 'Columbus's House', a cottage amid vineyards and fruit trees, is one of several Ligurian residences associated with the explorer.
• Savona is the capital of the Province of Savona and the main city of the western Italian Riviera, facing the Ligurian Sea between Genoa and the French border.
• The city has a well-preserved medieval old town, anchored by the imposing Fortezza del Priamar — a 16th-century Spanish fortress that once held the painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo's father as a prisoner.
• Savona was an important medieval maritime republic and rival to Genoa; the two cities were in constant conflict for dominance over Ligurian trade routes.
• Today Savona is a major cruise home port for Mediterranean itineraries and one of the busiest cruise terminals on the Italian Riviera.