Imperia, stories and curiosities
One city, many stories
Imperia, stories and curiosities
A city that has given birth to writers, scientists, musicians, and great historical figures. Imperia has appeared in the pages of literature, welcomed famous figures, and even become an international film set. Discover some of the most curious stories linked to Oneglia, Porto Maurizio, and the Imperia area.
Famous people
Great figures in culture, history, and art born or deeply connected to Imperia.
Edmondo De Amicis
The author of Cuore was born in Oneglia on October 21, 1846. The city still preserves the memory of its illustrious fellow citizen through places, monuments, and testimonies.
Andrea Doria
The famous admiral and leader Andrea Doria was born in Oneglia in 1466. He became one of the most important political and military figures in the Mediterranean in the 16th century.
Luciano Berio
One of the most important composers of the twentieth century, Luciano Berio was born in Oneglia in 1925 into a family of musicians.
Saint Leonard of Port Maurice
Born in Porto Maurizio in 1676 with the name of Girolamo Casanova, he became one of the most famous preachers of his time.
Imperia and the Nobel Prizes
Two great scientists have a very special bond with the city.
Giulio Natta
He was born in Porto Maurizio on February 26, 1903. In 1963 he received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his research in the field of high polymer chemistry and technology.
Renato Dulbecco
Renato Dulbecco was not born in Imperia, but spent a significant part of his youth here . The family settled in Porto Maurizio, and Dulbecco attended the Royal High School Edmondo De Amicis.
Celebrity guests and surprising connections
Not everyone was born here: some great figures, however, have left their mark on the city's history.
Francesco Petrarca
In 1365 Francesco Petrarca , now elderly, stayed in Porto Maurizio during his return journey from Avignon.
Grock, the King of Clowns
Adrien Wettach, known throughout the world as Grock , chose the hills of Oneglia to build his extraordinary residence.
Italo Calvino
Italo Calvino also has ties to Western Liguria and the Imperia hinterland, where as a young man he participated in the Resistance before becoming one of the most famous Italian writers in the world.
Imperia between the pages of books
Authors born in the city, places cited in novels, and stories set in Western Liguria.
The late Mattia Pascal
Oneglia appears explicitly in Luigi Pirandello 's famous novel, published in 1904.
Heart
Published in 1886 , it is one of the most well-known and translated Italian books in the world.
Ink Heart
The German writer Cornelia Funke set her famous fantasy novel in the landscape of western Liguria .
Imperia on the big screen
Ports, villas and views of the city have become real film locations.
The Bourne Identity
One of the city's most important cinematic curiosities: Jason Bourne lands right in Imperia .
A film about Sandro Pertini
Numerous scenes from Se ci sarà un giorno , a television film dedicated to the young Sandro Pertini, were filmed in the old Oneglia Courthouse, now home to the Civic Library.
A movie villa
The fantastic architecture of Villa Grock has also been used as a film set .
Imperia was officially founded in 1923, but Oneglia, Porto Maurizio, and their ancient villages hold centuries of history: admirals and saints, writers and musicians, Nobel Prize winners, international artists, and even Hollywood stars. A careful look at the city's streets, buildings, and squares reveals traces of figures who have left their mark far beyond the Riviera's borders.
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