Portofino

Description

Pliny the Elder referred to Portus Delphini (Port of the Dolphin) as on the Ligurian coast between Genoa and the Gulf of Tigullio c In 1409 Portofino was sold to the Republic of Florence by Charles VI of France, but when the latter 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 amongst the more famous English people to make the area fashionable.[7] Eventually, more ex-patriates 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 cafés. • 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 up towards the sky with open arms in a sign of peace. • Castello Brown (16th century). • Church of St. Martin (Divo Martino, 12th century). • Church of St. George, housing some saints' relics. • Oratory of Santa Maria Assunta, in Gothic style.

Facts about Portofino

• • In 1959 Dalida released 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. .
• • Portofino is one of the shooting locations of the 1995 Antonioni/Wenders film, Beyond the Clouds.
• • There is a full-scale replica, in authentic detail, of Portofino Bay at Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, USA, which opened in September 1999.
• • There is a full-scale replica, in authentic detail, of Portofino Bay at Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, USA, which opened in September 1999..

Details Of This Palace

1	old name		:		Portus Delphini
4	Length		:		4,586 mm
5	Height		:		1318 mm
6	Width		:		1,938 mm

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