Rapallo
- History
- What to see
- Where to sleep
- Where to eat and restaurants
- Beaches
- Gastronomy
- Traditional festivals
- How to get there
- Weather forecast
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Rapallo is the most populous municipality in the Gulf of Tigullio, located in the western part, next to the famous tourist resorts of Santa Margherita Ligure, Portofino and Camogli.
Crossed by the Boate and San Francesco streams, as well as numerous smaller watercourses, in addition to the flat and coastal area, which is heavily anthropized, it is dotted with several hillside villages that rise towards Mount Manico del Lume, the highest at 801 meters and the other peaks.
It is famous for having hosted two important peace treaties: in 1920 between Italy and Yugoslavia, and in 1922 between the Weimar Republic and the Soviet Union.
History
The origins of Rapallo date back to at least the 8th century BC. with the first settlements of Etruscan origin. Lombard dominion from the 7th century, it passed to the Franks of Charlemagne within the Province Maritima Italorum. In 964 Rapallo was mentioned for the first time, while we had to wait until the 12th century for the establishment of the free municipality of Rapallo under the protection of Genoa. In 1203 it became the seat of the podestaria of the Republic of Genoa.
Rapallo continued in the Genoese orbit for centuries, despite suffering some violent attacks such as the battle against the Aragonese in 1494 and the raid by the Turkish pirate Dragut in 1549.
The fall of the Republic of Genoa in 1797 and the arrival of Napoleon led Rapallo to be the capital of the department of the Gulf of Tigullio first and then of the department of the Apennines until 1814 with the defeat of Napoleon.
In 1815 Rapallo was included in the Kingdom of Sardinia of Vittorio Emanuele I of Savoy. Having become part of the Kingdom of Italy, from the end of the nineteenth century it began to develop its tourist vocation with the first luxury hotels and bathing establishments.
In the 20th century, Rapallo hosted the conference between the Kingdom of Italy, France and the United Kingdom in 1917; in 1920 it was the site of the first Treaty of Rapallo between Italy and Yugoslavia; in 1922 of the second Treaty of Rapallo between the Soviet Union and Weimar Germany.
During the Second World War it was heavily bombed in 1944.
From the 1950s and 1960s, the dizzying economic growth caused a strong, at times uncontrolled, urban growth which took on the negative name of "rapalisation".
What to see
What to see in Rapallo? Here are some suggestions so as not to miss anything of the Ligurian town:
Where to sleep Rapallo is frequented by tourists especially for the sea and the beaches, as well as the food and its monuments. It is also very close to very famous places in Tigullio such as Sestri Levante and Portofino.
Please find here where to stay in Rapallo.
Restaurants
Here are some suggestions on where to eat in Rapallo:
The beaches
The beaches are mainly pebbles mixed with sand, with cliff areas. Between the houses and the bathing establishments there are some free beaches:
The rest of the beaches are located in the nearby town of San Michele di Pagana:
Detailed information on the Rapallo beaches and how to get there.
Gastronomy
Typical product of the village are the "cubeletti" or "gobeletti", shortcrust pastry sweets filled with quinces, while in other areas of Liguria they are filled with various jams. The shape also distinguishes them from the rest, a truncated cone.
For the rest, the cuisine of Rapallo is similar to the other places in Tigullio, with farinata and focaccia, stuffed vegetables, salted anchovies, pasta with pesto (trenette and trofie), Ligurian rabbit, fried and grilled fish.
Traditional festivals
The patronal feast of Rapallo is dedicated to Our Lady of Montallegro and takes place on 2 July, the anniversary of the apparition of the Madonna of Montallegro which occurred on 2 July 1557. Normally it is celebrated on days 1, 2 and 3 July with numerous celebrations which culminate with the traditional procession and fireworks in the various districts of the city.
Another important fair is the historic San Sebastiano Fair in January, with gastronomic specialties and different types of stalls, from clothing to crafts.
As in the other municipalities of the gulf, the Palio marinaro del Tigullio takes place between May and August, when the towns of Santa Margherita Ligure, San Michele di Pagana, Rapallo, Zoagli, Chiavari, Lavagna and Sestri Levante they compete in a series of rowing races.
"Rapalloonia", the international cartoonist exhibition, takes place in October.
How to get there and parking
Rapallo can be reached by car along the A12 motorway, exiting at the Rapallo toll booth, which is located 2.5 km from the centre.
The Rapallo train station is very convenient, located just 500 meters from the Lido beach.
One possibility is to arrive by ferry, with the services of the Servizio Marittimo del Tigullio. Rapallo is directly connected to Santa Margherita Ligure, Chiavari, Lavagna, Sestri Levante, Portovenere and Monterosso.
Discover detailed information on how to get to Rapallo.
There are several parking options in Rapallo, especially near the port and in front of the seafront, for a fee and just outside the town.
Detailed information for parking in Rapallo.
Boat tours
Usually from April to September the services of the Servizi Marittimi del Tigullio company are active with departures and arrivals from Rapallo.
The lines are:
More information:
Cinque Terre by boat from Genoa and surroundings
There is also the option for private tours or to rent a boat, a catamaran or a dinghy in Rapallo, to visit the surroundings:
MY Rapallo Boat Charter
Calata Andrea Doria, 14, 16035 Rapallo
Tel: 327 4485526
Tricoli Charter
Duca degli Abruzzi pier head, 16035 Rapallo
Tel: 338 5332968
Easy Charter
Descent Luigi Durand de la Penne, 16035, Rapallo
Tel: 389 1866684
Stella di Mare Vela
Via Langano, 16035 Rapallo GE
Tel: 392 6372711
Weather forecast
Look at the weather forecast for Rapallo in the next few days, to be able to organize your trip or holiday in Rapallo.