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Camogli, the town of "the thousand white sailing-ships", is an ancient maritime village which remained untouched since the times its captains sailed all over the world and it is situated on the most repaired place of the Golfo Paradiso. The village is composed of two main nucleus: the "Island", a big rock that gives hospitality to the two most important monuments of the city, that is to say the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta and Castel Dragone. The "Priario", on the dry land, where it is possible to see the sequence of palaces in Via Garibaldi, that together with the island, includes the small harbour. It's enough to make a visit in the historical centre, in order to have the sensation to be back in history. The historical centre is made of high palaces, with decorated facades close to each other. Otherwise, we also suggest a walk trough the "carruggi" (very small ways) of the medieval part of the village where are also situated the Museo Marinaro and the Biblioteca Civica where there is the famous Napoleonic salon. The small harbour, overlooked by Castel Dragone, is the centre of a still lively fishing activity and gives hospitality, more than to the classical gozzos used for the normal fishing, also to the boats and utilities for the tunny-fishing. This is also the only tunny-fishing plant remained in the Mar Ligure and in the Alto Tirreno.
Camogli preserves in its territory various religious buildings of high importance: for example, the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta, which parvis was realised by using the "risseu" technique.
This ancient technique was once used in the maritime villages and provided the use of white and black stones that were going to create beautiful drawings and geometrical shapes when collocated on the ground by expert hands. The Oratorio dei Santi Prospero and Caterina in the central Via Della Repubblica; the Cappella di Sant'Anna along Via Romana; The Santuario di Nostra Signora del Boschetto that in its interior gives hospitality to an interesting collection of sailor-like Ex-voto dating back to the XVI and XVII century. San Nicolò a Capodimonte Church dating back to 1145 and the so called Chiesa Millenaria in Ruta, which name is due to the fact that it is still not possible to precisely collocate in time its construction are to be remembered.
In Punta Chiappa there is the smallest harbour in the world that of course is named Porto Pidocchio (louse harbour). It is possible to reach it in just two ways: by foot, walking trough San Rocco or by boat from Camogli (a boat every hour). It is just a small slice of rocks where a lively group of fishers live. Moreover, there are some very good restaurants and the Stella Maris Altar decorated with a nice mosaic. Every year, on the first Sunday of August, boats with ornaments land here and at night the sea lights up thanks to the small candles lighted up in honour of the Madonna who protects the sailors. San Rocco is where all the paths to climb the mountain or reach Punta Chiappa start. The sight is wonderful from here and it allows sometimes seeing dolphins or little whales. The tunny fishing is situated right under San Rocco. Considered its great sailing tradition, it was obvious that the Maritime Museum was collocated here. It is opened everyday but on Tuesday. To make it complete, from the little harbour it is possible to sail towards all the main places of the Riviera di Levante and towards Genoa and the Aquarium. If you are interested on a vacation in the name of nature and tradition, come and visit us, Camogli is waiting for you.
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