Alassio's origins are obscure.
According to some it was founded by the inhabitants of the
surrounding heights, who came down to the coast in the tenth
century to devote themselves to seafaring activities.
For others, the first nucleus of Alassio was
created by Benedictines from the island of Gallinara. They did in fact
have a fief here up until the twelfth century, when the territory was
sold to the Commune of Albenga, from which it did not gain its freedom
until the sixteenth century. It was at this time that that the city of
Alassio walls, traces of which are still standing, and the imposing tower
by the sea were built.
The most interesting of the religious buildings is the parish
church of Sant'Ambrogio: although its tall campanile with a
spire dates from the eleventh century, the church was rebuilt
several times during the Renaissance and modern era.
The Palazzo Scofferi dates from the seventeenth-eighteenth
century, as does the Palazzo Ferrero de Gubernatis, restored in
the nineteenth century.
The energies that Alassio has devoted to the improvement and
renovation of its tourist and bathing facilities has made it a
seaside resort of international repute, where vacationers
congregate not only on the beach but also at two other famous
focal points: “Il Budello,” the narrow alley running parallel to
the promenade and lined with stores, and the “muretto” of the
public gardens, a wall with hundreds of ceramic tiles bearing
the signatures of the many celebrities who have stayed in
Alassio, commencing with Hemingway and Chaplin.
Alassio tourist harbor, with two wharves and
five piers, can accommodate around 400 boats.
