Description
The fresco in the Council Chamber
The history, origins, and vocations of the city of Imperia are told through a great allegorical work.
Carlo Cesare Ferro's fresco dominates the current City Council Hall, once intended to be the great Reception Hall of the Civic Palace.
The new city of Imperia
At the centre of the work, within a simple niche, Imperia is depicted as a young woman wrapped in a light pink peplos.
Two allegorical figures in flight offer her the symbols of the city's main vocations: seafaring and olive growing . These elements also represent broader values, such as resourcefulness and peace.
The image celebrates the union of Porto Maurizio and Oneglia , ideally represented as the two cities joining hands, giving rise to the new Imperia.
The sea, the land and the future
At the foot of the personification of the city is a marble block with the genii of the earth and the sea, accompanied by classically derived symbols: the dolphin, the trident, and the cornucopia. The young people depicted in the scene symbolize the future of the city, still deeply tied to the sea and the land.
The navy
The sea represents the maritime tradition, fishing, trade and the enterprising spirit of the Imperia population.
Olive growing
The olive tree recalls agricultural work, the territory, and one of the city's most historically important activities.
The union
Porto Maurizio and Oneglia ideally join hands, giving life to the new city of Imperia.
The protagonists of the city's history
In the upper section of the fresco, twenty-two figures linked to the history of Porto Maurizio and Oneglia are depicted.
A tale of the history of Imperia
The work brings together symbols, characters, and historical episodes in a grand representation of the city's origins, celebrating the bond between Porto Maurizio, Oneglia, the sea, the land, and future generations.
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Last update: 27 July 2026, 14:25