Ventimiglia was founded by the Romans in the early second century B.C., on the pre-existing oppidum of the Liguri Intemeli and the toponym probably derives from the linguistic expression of Albom “chief town” as well as from the genitive plural of the ethnic name Intemeliom thus “Chief Town of the Liguri Intimeli.”
Through the Latinized form in Album Intimilium, the two words merged together, with a crasis, giving rise to Albintimilium.
Following the deglutination of “AL” and the transition of “B” to “V” came the form Vintimilium, which finally became Vintimilia in the Middle Ages.
Today Ventimiglia can be described as the “Gateway to Italy,” due to its strategic location as a direct access to neighboring France.
Of the ancient Roman city, the walled circuit, the Roman theater and adjoining bathhouse as well as the decumanus maximus, the main road that crossed Ventimiglia from east to west, whose route coincided with the urban section of the Via Julia Augusta, have been preserved.
The historic center, is one of the most important in Liguria, preserving, like an “open-air” museum, almost ten centuries of history. Walking through its alleys it is possible to admire, among others:
- the Church of St. Michael, built as an aristocratic chapel by the Counts of Ventimiglia, inside of which three milestones from the ancient Via Julia Augusta can be found, two of which were used as stoups and the third to support the vault of the crypt;
- the N.S. Assunta Cathedral, erected between the 11th and 12th centuries on the ruins of an earlier cathedral from the Carolingian period, on the site where a pagan temple, dedicated to the goddess Juno, once stood;
- the Baptistery, adjacent to the cathedral, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, built in the 11th century on an octagonal plan, inside it preserves an imposing baptismal font, a symbol of the resurrection.
Also of special cultural interest is the Annunziata Fortress, a splendid military redoubt overlooking the sea, from which it is possible to enjoy a panoramic view from Cape St. Ampelio (to the east) to the Esterel massif (to the west). Built between 1831 and 1837 by the Savoy Corps of Engineers, it now houses the “Girolamo Rossi” MAR Civic Archaeological Museum , which displays valuable artifacts from, precisely, the excavations of the Roman city of Albintimilium.
The attractions of Ventimiglia do not end here, it is good not to forget:
- the Porta Canarda, erected in the 13th century as the garrison of a Genoese military outpost, in a strategic position overlooking the sea;
- the Civica Biblioteca Aprosiana, founded in 1648 by Father Angelico Aprosio, to this day the oldest public library in Liguria, where a substantial Baroque book collection is preserved;
- theoratory of San Secondo, known as “dei Neri” which houses the only marble high altar as well as a Christ with jointed arms;
- the Balzi Rossi, counted among the major prehistoric sites in all of Europe, whose name derives from the color of the rocky cliffs that characterize them.
A tour idea
Discover your Roman itinerary by traveling along the Via Julia Augusta, an important communication route completed in 12 B.C. that connected Derthona (Tortona) with Aquae Sextiae (Aix-en-Provence).
Starting from the excavations of the Roman city of Albintimilium in Ventimiglia, then passing by the Church of St. Michael and the G.Rossi Archaeological Civic Museum, you arrive at the Hanbury Botanical Gardens, the Balzi Rossi (with adjoining museum founded by Thomas Hanbury), the Museum of Regional Prehistory in Menton, the Mausoleum of Lumone in Roque Brune-Cap Martin, the Mont des Mules in Beausoleil and the Augustus Trophy at La Turbie. Obviously, it is recommended to carry out the itinerary in stages to best enjoy every cultural nuance.
But it doesn’t end there, if you love archaeological sites, go up to the medieval village of Eze, perhaps via the Nietzsche Trail, and at the top, inside the exotic gardens you will find surprising Roman remains.