Imperia is a city of 42,000 people (2017) in Liguria. Imperia is well known for the cultivation of flowers and olives, and is a popular summer destination for visitors.
The economy of Imperia is based on tourism, food industry (olive oil and pasta), a specialized agriculture (olive groves and flowers in greenhouses) and on trading and harbour activities. The seaside tourism represents an important aspect of the economy of Imperia.
The urban centre of Imperia includes the former towns of Porto Maurizio and Oneglia (which in turn includes Castelvecchio).
Oneglia, to the east, is the largest part of the city, on the left of the mouth of the Impero stream, gathering around Piazza Dante, from which some of the main modern streets of the city open. It is the industrial centre of the city, mainly linked to the production of olive oil. It is characterized by a Piedmontese-style architecture (the inspiration from the arcades of Via Roma and Piazza San Carlo in Turin is evident), inheritance of the period in which it was part of the territories of the Savoy and the Kingdom of Sardinia. Immediately north of Oneglia is the village of Castelvecchio di Santa Maria Maggiore.
Porto Maurizio, west of the Impero stream, is located on a promontory jutting out into the sea on the left of the mouth of the Caramagna stream and extends over the coastal selvedge; it has a predominantly residential and tourist vocation. It is intricate and picturesque, full of caruggi (alleys), small creuze (alleys) and prestigious buildings.
The territory behind the city, in the center of the Riviera dei Fiori , has an orographic trend characterized by short valleys, placed perpendicularly to the coast and uniformly sloping down, in which many settlements have developed that have managed to keep intact or almost their original structure.
The cultivation of the olive tree, introduced around the 12th century, has profoundly marked the history of the Imperia territory, as well as, centuries later, flowers and tourism did. Olive trees grown on terraced hills with the characteristic dry stone walls are the dominant element of the landscape.
Airport of Genoa Cristoforo Colombo
In Porto Maurizio there is a tourist port which, especially in the summer season, acts as a fulcrum for marine tourism
Imperia station, on the Genoa - Ventimiglia line
Bus services carried out by the Riviera Trasporti.
Hike, bike and discover the still largely untouched hinterland of Imperia.
2nd-order administrative division
Primary administrative division