Town and resort in Italy
Comune in Liguria, Italy
Portofino
(
Italian pronunciation:
[?p?rto?fiːno]
;
Ligurian
:
Portofin
[?p??tu?fiŋ]
) is a
comune
located in the
Metropolitan City of Genoa
on the
Italian Riviera
. The town is clustered around its small harbour, and is known for the colourfully painted buildings that line the shore.
[3]
Since the late 19th century, Portofino has attracted tourism of the European aristocracy and it is now a resort for the world's
jet set
.
[4]
[5]
History
[
edit
]
Pliny the Elder
(AD 23 ? AD 79) referred to
Portus Delphini
(Port of the Dolphin) as on the Ligurian coast between
Genoa
and the Gulf of
Tigullio
.
[6]
The village is mentioned in a
diploma
from 986 by
Adelaide of Italy
, which assigned it to the nearby
Abbey of San Fruttuoso di Capodimonte
. In 1171, together with the neighbouring
Santa Margherita Ligure
, it was included in
Rapallo
's commune jurisdiction. After 1229 it was part of the
Republic of Genoa
. The town's natural
harbour
supported a fleet of fishing boats, but was somewhat too cramped to provide more than a temporary safe haven for the growing
merchant marine
of the Republic of Genoa.
In 1409, when
Charles VI of France
was
Doge of Genoa
, he sold Portofino to the
Republic of Florence
. When Charles was ousted from Genoa, the Florentines gave it back. In the 15th century it was a fief of families such as the
Fieschi
,
Spinola
,
Adorno
, and
Doria
.
In 1815, it became part of the
Kingdom of Sardinia
and, from 1861, of the
unified Kingdom of Italy
.
In the late 19th century, first British, then other Northern European aristocratic tourists began to visit Portofino, which they reached by horse and cart from
Santa Margherita Ligure
.
Aubrey Herbert
and
Elizabeth von Arnim
were among the more famous English people to make the area fashionable.
[7]
Eventually, more expatriates built expensive holiday houses, and by 1950,
tourism
had replaced
fishing
as the town's chief industry, and the waterfront was a continuous ring of restaurants and cafes.
Main sights
[
edit
]
- Statue of
Christ of the Abyss
, placed underwater on 29 August 1954 in the inlet at a depth of 17 metres (56 ft). This statue was placed to protect fishermen and
scuba divers
and in memory of Dario Gonzatti, the first Italian to use SCUBA gear, who died in 1947. Sculpted by Guido Galletti, it represents Christ in the act of blessing while looking towards the sky with open arms in a sign of peace.
- Castello Brown
(16th century).
- Divo Martino, Portofino
(12th century).
- San Giorgio, Portofino
, housing some saints' relics.
- Oratory of
Santa Maria Assunta
, in
Gothic
style.
Restriction on photography
[
edit
]
In 2023, the municipality introduced zones where tourists are forbidden to linger to take photographs, which was causing congestion. Fines of up to €275 could be imposed on those infringing the regulations.
[8]
[9]
Panoramic view of Portofino
Portofino cemetery and Castello Brown
St. Martin
In popular culture
[
edit
]
- The Enchanted April
, a 1922 best-selling novel by
Elizabeth von Arnim
based on the author's stay in
Castello Brown
, is credited with making Portofino fashionable.
[10]
The novel was the basis of a
1991 feature
filmed in the Castello, with a cast including
Joan Plowright
,
Miranda Richardson
and
Alfred Molina
. The film was nominated for three
Oscars
.
[11]
Goran Schildt's
Daphne in Portofino in 1948
Portofino was visited by
Finland Swedish
writer
Goran Schildt
and his ketch Daphne in 1948 on the start of his travels on the Mediterranean Sea.
- Portofino is often thought to be the inspiration for Sir
Clough Williams-Ellis
' Italianate village named
Portmeirion
, built between 1925 and 1975, in north Wales. However, this was repeatedly denied by the architect. He stated only that he wanted to pay tribute to the atmosphere of the Mediterranean. He did, however, draw on a love of the Italian village, stating "How should I not have fallen for Portofino? Indeed its image remained with me as an almost perfect example of the man-made adornment and use of an exquisite site."
[12]
- In 1959,
Dalida
released the song "
Love in Portofino
", written by
Leo Chiosso
and composed by
Fred Buscaglione
. With lyrics in French and Italian language, it became a hit and was later iconised alongside the village's name. It also spawned several international covers, including
Andrea Bocelli
's in 2013 which was followed by a concert recorded and issued on DVD.
- Portofino is the eponym of
Frank Schaeffer
's
Portofino: A Novel
(1992). It was the first of Schaeffer's
Calvin Becker Trilogy
.
[13]
- Portofino is one of the shooting locations of the 1995 Antonioni/Wenders film,
Beyond the Clouds
.
[14]
- There is a full-scale replica, in authentic detail, of Portofino Bay at
Universal Orlando Resort
in
Orlando
, United States, which opened in September 1999.
- Portofino inspired in 2001 a recreation of the seaside town in the
Mediterranean Harbor
area at
Tokyo DisneySea
in
Chiba
, Japan. It also served as the namesake for the restaurant Cafe Portofino.
- Portofino was featured in 2008 in the
BBC
television series
Top Gear
.
Richard Hammond
, in a
Ferrari Daytona
raced
James May
in a carbon fibre powerboat from Portofino to
St Tropez
in France.
- Ferrari
named one of their sports cars the
Ferrari Portofino
in 2017. In 2018, the
Scuderia Ferrari
Club Portofino was founded.
- In the 2021 Disney-Pixar animated film
Luca
, the fictional town of Portorosso is based on Portofino, as well as other villages in the Italian Riviera.
[15]
- The 2022 six-episode period drama television series
Hotel Portofino
, set in the 1920s, was created by Matt Baker in 2020, filmed principally on location in Portofino in 2021, and is being shown on Britbox, PBS, and other television networks.
[16]
The show was renewed for a second season.
[17]
Notable residents
[
edit
]
- King Richard I of England
(1157?1199), in 1190
[18]
- Pope Gregory XI
(1330?1378), in 1377
- Henry Herbert
(1831?1890), British politician
- Guy de Maupassant
(1850?1893), French writer
- Guglielmo Marconi
(1874?1937), Italian engineer, inventor of radio
- Giuseppe Amisani
(1879?1941), Italian painter
- Michele Cascella
(1892?1989), Italian painter
- Rex Harrison
(1908?1990), English actor
- Lilli Palmer
(1914?1986), German actress, wife of Rex Harrison
Twin towns
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011"
. Italian National Institute of Statistics
. Retrieved
16 March
2019
.
- ^
All demographics and other statistics: Italian statistical institute
Istat
.
- ^
"Must-see attractions in Portofino"
.
lonelyplanet.com
. Lonely Planet
. Retrieved
24 March
2015
.
- ^
Oganga, Jeff (6 June 2022).
"Resort Of The Rich And Famous: What Portofino Is Really Like"
.
TheTravel
. Retrieved
13 July
2022
.
- ^
"The five reasons we absolutely love Portofino"
.
Gran Turismo Events
. 9 February 2021
. Retrieved
13 July
2022
.
- ^
Pliny the Elder
,
Natural History
, III, VII, 2
- ^
De Vere White, Terrence. Introduction to
The Enchanted April
, Virago: 1991.
ISBN
9780860685173
.
- ^
"Italy selfie ban: Tourists in Portofino could be fined for posing for selfies"
.
CBBC Newsround
. BBC. 19 April 2023.
- ^
"Hohe Strafen in Portofino ? Italienische Gemeinde verhangt Bussen furs Stehenbleiben"
.
Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF)
(in German). 24 April 2023
. Retrieved
24 April
2023
.
- ^
De Vere White, Terence in introduction to 'The Enchanted April', Virago: 1991
- ^
"Enchanted April"
. Internet Movie Database.
- ^
Headley, Gwyn; Meulenkamp, Wim (1986).
Follies: A National Trust Guide
. Cape. p. 156.
ISBN
978-0-224-02105-0
.
- ^
Schaeffer, Frank (2006).
Portofino: A novel
. New York: Macmillan.
ISBN
978-0-7867-1716-3
.
- ^
"Beyond the Clouds (1995) Filming Locations"
. IMDb
. Retrieved
14 December
2013
.
- ^
Peters, Fletcher (18 June 2021).
"Where is the Movie 'Luca' Based?"
.
Decider
.
- ^
"
'Hotel Portofino': Natascha McElhone Period Drama Series Sells To ITV/BritBox, Sky Italia, Foxtel"
.
Deadline Hollywood
. 9 June 2021.
- ^
"MIPTV: 'Hotel Portofino' Gets Season 2 Order, 'Professor T' Sells Wide"
.
The Hollywood Reporter
. 4 April 2022.
- ^
Hofmann, Paul (19 June 1994).
"Portofino, For the Rich And Less So"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
28 February
2015
.
- ^
"Portofino: Verso il gemellaggio con City of Belvedere, San Francisco"
. 20 May 2017.
External links
[
edit
]
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