Sanremo | ||
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Comune | ||
Città di Sanremo | ||
Panorama of Sanremo from the harbour
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Location of Sanremo in Italy | ||
Coordinates: 43°49′N 7°47′E / 43.817°N 7.783°ECoordinates: 43°49′N 7°47′E / 43.817°N 7.783°E | ||
Country | Italy | |
Region | Liguria | |
Province / Metropolitan city | Imperia (IM) | |
Frazioni | Borello, Bussana, Bussana Vecchia, Coldirodi, Gozo Superiore, Gozo Inferiore, Poggio, San Bartolomeo, San Giacomo, San Giovanni, San Romolo, Verezzo, Verezzo San Donato, Verezzo Sant'Antonio | |
Government | ||
• Mayor | Alberto Biancheri | |
Area | ||
• Total | 54.7 km2 (21.1 sq mi) | |
Elevation | 15 m (49 ft) | |
Population (30 April 2009) | ||
• Total | 56,864 | |
• Density | 1,000/km2 (2,700/sq mi) | |
Demonym(s) | Sanremesi or Sanremaschi | |
Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
• Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
Postal code | 18038 | |
Dialing code | 0184 | |
Patron saint | Saint Romolo | |
Saint day | October 13 | |
Website | Official website |
Sanremo or San Remo (Italian pronunciation: [sanˈrɛːmo]; Ligurian: Sanremu, locally Sanrœmu) is a city on the Mediterranean coast of western Liguria in north-western Italy. Founded in Roman times, it has a population of 57,000, and is known as a tourist destination on the Italian Riviera. It hosts numerous cultural events, such as the Sanremo Music Festival and the Milan–San Remo cycling classic.
The name of the city is a phonetic contraction of Sant'Eremo di San Romolo, which refers to Romulus of Genoa, the successor to Syrus of Genoa. It is often stated in modern folk stories that Sanremo is a translation of "Saint Remus", a deceased Saint. In Ligurian, his name is San Rœmu. The spelling San Remo is on all ancient maps of Liguria, the ancient Republic of Genoa, Italy in the Middle Ages, the Kingdom of Sardinia, and the Kingdom of Italy. It was used in 1924 in official documents under Mussolini. This form of the name appears still on some road signs and, more rarely, in unofficial tourist information. It has been the most widely used form of the name in English at least since the 19th century.
Once the Roman settlement of Matutia or Villa Matutiana, Sanremo expanded in the Early Middle Ages when the population moved to the high grounds. The nobility built a castle and the walled village of La Pigna to protect the town from Saracen raids.