Always considered one of the most beautiful places in Italy, a symbol of luxury and a destination for VIPs from all over the world, Portofino is a little gem in the Tigullio region, with a truly tiny and characteristic historical centre, with traditional colored houses, and a small Bay. This hamlet that has a few hundred residents seems suspended in time, but why, compared to many other beautiful places in Liguria, is it the most famous of all, and the most popular with the international jet-set?
Let's start with the origins of this town, which are lost in history: some say it dates back to the Phoenicians, some to the Greeks, some only to the Romans, it is probably much older; but what is certain is that it has been famous since ancient times for being very sheltered from the winds and the sea, and therefore an ideal port and a place that has always been coveted.
To complete the picture, the naturalistic wonders, the small hamlet overlooking the sea, forbidden to cars, which over time has become the meeting place for various artists; last but not least, Portofino is not a "place of passage" and is cut off from the busy via Aurelia, thus becoming a reserved corner where it is really impossible to happen by chance (on the other hand it is easily reachable from the sea, also for this reason it has become an "exclusive" place much loved by those arriving by boat and yacht, which can only stay in a very small number, making the port even more coveted).
The natural conformation of this port, which as we have seen is suitable for privacy and quiet, meant that Guido Sette, bishop of Genoa and friend of none other than Francesco Petrarca, built the Cervara hermitage for his monks, thinking to asceticism and solitude in nature. It was Henry Herbert, Count of Carnavaron, who "discovered" Portofino in 1870, building the Villa Altachiara, buying land, and helping to make the small village a very famous social destination initially in England. Precisely because of its small size and not being so easily accessible, it immediately became a "buen retiro" where the lords of the time immersed themselves, at least for a few months a year, in the "simplicity" of fishermen and farmers.
To the naturalistic beauties of this little gem, let's add the fauna: it was in fact probably due to the abundance of dolphins sighted in the gulf that the Romans gave the area the name of "Portus Delphini", port of dolphins. From here, then, Portofino.
Let's start with the origins of this town, which are lost in history: some say it dates back to the Phoenicians, some to the Greeks, some only to the Romans, it is probably much older; but what is certain is that it has been famous since ancient times for being very sheltered from the winds and the sea, and therefore an ideal port and a place that has always been coveted.
To complete the picture, the naturalistic wonders, the small hamlet overlooking the sea, forbidden to cars, which over time has become the meeting place for various artists; last but not least, Portofino is not a "place of passage" and is cut off from the busy via Aurelia, thus becoming a reserved corner where it is really impossible to happen by chance (on the other hand it is easily reachable from the sea, also for this reason it has become an "exclusive" place much loved by those arriving by boat and yacht, which can only stay in a very small number, making the port even more coveted).
The natural conformation of this port, which as we have seen is suitable for privacy and quiet, meant that Guido Sette, bishop of Genoa and friend of none other than Francesco Petrarca, built the Cervara hermitage for his monks, thinking to asceticism and solitude in nature. It was Henry Herbert, Count of Carnavaron, who "discovered" Portofino in 1870, building the Villa Altachiara, buying land, and helping to make the small village a very famous social destination initially in England. Precisely because of its small size and not being so easily accessible, it immediately became a "buen retiro" where the lords of the time immersed themselves, at least for a few months a year, in the "simplicity" of fishermen and farmers.
To the naturalistic beauties of this little gem, let's add the fauna: it was in fact probably due to the abundance of dolphins sighted in the gulf that the Romans gave the area the name of "Portus Delphini", port of dolphins. From here, then, Portofino.