Where is Rapallo located?
The renowned seaside resort of Rapallo is situated between Genoa and the Cinque Terre National Park, in the deepest bay of the Tigullio Gulf, protected by hills and cliffs. Rapallo is the largest resort town on the Italian Riviera in the Liguria region of northwest Italy, featuring a picturesque castle in the sea, a small harbor, delicious seafood restaurants, and a charming waterfront promenade.
The population of Rapallo exceeds 30,000 inhabitants.
History of Rapallo
The first records of Rapallo date back to the year 964 when the coastal village was part of the Republic of Genoa, following the conquest of the Lombards in 643. During the Middle Ages, Rapallo built a castle and fortifications to defend against pirate raids. Moreover, the first settlement of Etruscans or Greeks in the area of the present-day city dates back to the 8th century BCE. Rapallo remained under the rule of the Genoese authorities until the Napoleonic Wars.
In the 16th century, the city was attacked and plundered by the Turks and Barbary pirates. In response, the locals built a castle that adorns the resort's waterfront to this day. In the late 18th century, Rapallo was captured by the French, and in 1814, it was liberated by the English king, returning once again under the rule of the Duchy of Genoa.
The development of Rapallo as a fashionable aristocratic resort began after the construction of the railway from Rome to Nice in 1868. During the "Belle Époque," writers such as Guy de Maupassant, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Ezra Pound gathered here. Inspired by the Italian city during his treatment, Nietzsche began working on his famous philosophical treatise, "Thus Spoke Zarathustra." In the early 20th century, the English dandy Max Beerbohm hosted a literary salon in Rapallo. Nearby, the influential artist Gordon Craig lived in Villa Raggio.
However, the beauty of Rapallo attracted not only artists and writers. In late 1917, the city hosted an Anglo-Franco-Italian conference following Italy's catastrophic defeat in Caporetto. Additionally, in 1920, the authorities of Italy and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (later renamed Yugoslavia) signed a treaty in Rapallo defining their shared borders. Moreover, it was in Rapallo in 1922 that Russia and Germany concluded a treaty in which both countries renounced reparations claims and reestablished diplomatic relations.
