In 964, the name of the village of Rapallo was mentioned for the first time in a document. Another document from 1070 attests an attack from the sea by the Republic of Pisa for revenge against the historical rival Genoa, an event repeated also in 1076 and again in 1079. Read More [...]
On September 1494, Rapallo was invaded by the Aragonese fleet, which freed the population from the Genoese domination. On May 2, 1495, a Genoese naval fleet captured all the French ships in the Port of Rapallo and conquered the city again.
At the beginning of the 19th century, Rapallo, along the entire Liguria, was annexed to the First French Empire of Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1815, after the Congress of Vienna, Rapallo was included in the Kingdom of Sardinia, and in 1861 became part of the newly created Kingdom of Italy.
GEOGRAPHY: Rapallo is located in the western part of the Gulf of Tigullio, and is included in the Metropolitan City of Genoa and the Italian region of Liguria. The city is situated about 7 kilometers north of Portofino, about 9 kilometers east of Camogli, 17 kilometers east of Bogliasco, 18 kilometers west of Sestri Levante, 29 kilometers east of Genoa, about 45 kilometers northwest of Monterosso al Mare, the northernmost village of the Cinque Terre, and about 75 kilometers northwest of La Spezia.
TRANSPORT: The closest airport is the Cristoforo Colombo Airport, in Genoa, located about 35 kilometers away. By train, you can get to Rapallo from Genoa in about 40 minutes and from La Spezia in about an hour. A train ticket from Genoa costs 2.8€ and from La Spezia is 6.6€.
LANDMARKS: In Rapallo, you can visit the Castello sul Mare (Castle-on-the-Sea), erected in 1551 to counter the frequent pirate attacks, Castello di Punta Pagana, seat of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Basilica of Saints Gervasius and Protasius, consecrated in 1118 and restored in the early 17th century, and the small but beautiful Chiosco della Musica.