The Via Julia Augusta , built in 13 BC at the behest of Augustus, connected Rome to southern Gaul. The stretch between Albenga and Alassio retains visible and well-preserved Roman traces, combining archaeological and scenic interest.
The route begins in Piazza del Popolo and crosses the Centa River on a modern bridge. Along the way, you'll encounter the southern necropolis of Albingaunum, the San Calocero complex, and the 2nd-century AD Roman amphitheater. The funerary buildings, often characterized by "petit appareil," feature inhumation and cremation tombs and a rare columbarium tomb, unique in Liguria.
Along the way you can admire olive groves, agave plants, rosemary bushes and capers, until you enter the territory of Alassio, where you can observe the Colombera , an ancient sixteenth-century residence, and you pass through other funerary enclosures (Building B, Building A).
You then arrive at the church of S. Anna ai Monti , with fragments of 15th and 16th century frescoes, and the breathtaking view of Gallinaria Island , linked to the legend of San Martino and a Benedictine monastic community.
The route ends at Piazzale di Santa Croce in Alassio, with a panoramic view of the Riviera di Levante, the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, and Corsica. A short walk back takes you to the TPL bus stop for Albenga or Alassio.
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