Imperia

Liguria, Italy

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Imperia is a charming coastal city in Liguria, northwestern Italy, located on the Riviera dei Fiori between Sanremo and Genoa along the Ligurian Sea.

What makes Imperia unusual is that it was created in 1923 by merging two rival towns—Porto Maurizio and Oneglia—along with several surrounding villages, under a decree by Benito Mussolini, and it took its name from the Torrente Impero stream that flows between them.

Porto Maurizio, on the western side perched on a headland overlooking the sea, is the more historic and touristic center with medieval origins, while Oneglia on the eastern side sits on a flat alluvial plain and focuses more on commerce and industry. The city serves as the capital of the Province of Imperia and has about 41,000 residents, featuring two train stations, two ports, and distinct neighborhoods that still maintain their separate characters.

Imperia is famous for producing and exporting high-quality olive oil from the local taggiasca olives, as well as flowers, pasta, and spaghetti, with food manufacturing and tourism being its main economic drivers. Notable attractions include the Neoclassical Cathedral of San Maurizio, which is the largest church in Liguria with twin 36-meter bell towers, the Museo dell'Olivo (Olive Museum), and the historic Pasticceria Piccardo pastry shop founded in 1905.