Portofino

Infobox Italian comune

name = Portofino
official_name = Comune di Portofino
native_name =
image_skyline = Portofino from the sea.jpg
imagesize =
image_alt =
image_caption = Portofino.
image_shield =
shield_alt =
shield_size = px
image_map =
map_alt =
map_caption =
pushpin_label_position =
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latd = 44 |latm = 18 |lats = 14 |latNS = N
longd = 9 |longm = 12 |longs = 28 |longEW = E
coordinates_type = type:city(10,244)_region:IT
coordinates_display = title
coordinates_footnotes =
region = Liguria
province = Genoa (GE)
frazioni =
mayor_party =
mayor = Giorgio Devoto
area_footnotes =
area_total_km2 = 2.6
population_footnotes =
population_total = 521
population_as_of = 31 October 2006
pop_density_footnotes =
population_demonym = Portofinesi
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 4
twin1 =
twin1_country =
saint = St. George
day = First Sunday in April
postal_code = 16034
area_code = 0185
website =
footnotes =
Portofino (Ligurian: ''Portofin'') is a small Italian fishing village, ''comune'' and tourist resort located in the province of Genoa on the Italian Riviera. The town crowded round its small harbour is considered to be among the most beautiful Mediterranean ports.

History

According to Pliny the Elder, Portofino was founded by the Romans and named ''Portus Delphini'', or ''Port of the Dolphin'', because of the large number of dolphins that inhabited the Tigullian Gulf. The village is mentioned in a ''diploma'' from 986 by Adelaide of Italy, which assigned it to the nearby Abbey of San Fruttoso di Capodimonte. In 1171, together with the neighbouring Santa Margherita Ligure, it was included in Rapallo's commune jurisdiction. After 1229 it was part of the Republic of Genoa. The town's natural harbour supported a fleet of fishing boats, but was somewhat too cramped to provide more than a temporary safe haven for the growing merchant marine of the Republic of Genoa. In 1409 Portofino was sold to the Republic of Florence by Charles VI of France, but when the latter was ousted from Genoa the Florentine gave it back. In the 15th century it was a fief of families such as the Fieschi, Spinola, Adorno and Doria. In 1815 it became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia and, from 1861, of the unified Kingdom of Italy. In the late 19th century, first British, then other Northern European aristocratic tourists began to visit Portofino, which they reached by horse and cart from Santa Margherita Ligure. Aubrey Herbert (1880–1923) was one of the more famous Englishmen to maintain a villa at Portofino. Eventually more expatriates built expensive vacation houses, and by 1950 tourism had supplanted fishing as the town's chief industry, and the waterfront was a continuous ring of restaurants and cafés.

Main sights

Statue of "Christ of the Abyss", put underwater on August 29, 1954 in the small bay at a depth of 17 metres. This statue was placed to protect fishermen and scuba divers and in memory of Duilio Marcante. Sculpted by Guido Galletti, it represents a benedictory Christ who is looking up towards the sky with open arms as a sign of peace.
Castello Brown (16th century).
Church of St. Martin (''Divo Martino'', 12th century).
Church of St. George, housing some saints' relics.
Oratory of ''Santa Maria Assunta'', in Gothic style.

Other

Portofino has inspired a re-creation of the sea side town around the harbour at Tokyo DisneySea in Chiba, Japan, a full scale replication, in authentic detail at the Portofino Bay Resort at Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, USA which opened in September 1999. Additionally the Gulf Harbour development on the Hibiscus Coast, New Zealand and also Reston in VA, USA. On Top Gear, Richard Hammond raced James May from Portofino to Saint-Tropez in the South of France. Hammond was in a Ferrari Daytona while May was in a speedboat. May eventually won the race by a very small margin.

Twin towns

Kinsale, Ireland
Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Nelson, England, UK

See also

Cervara Abbey
Paraggi

References

;Notes

External links

Comune di Portofino official website
Portofino Natural Park
Portofino Marine Protected Area

Portofino