Villas and buildings.
The summer residence phenomenon began in Liguria around the sixteenth century, when many noble Genoese families began to build villas and houses on the two Rivieras. At times these were even bigger than their city residences, which could not be extended due to lack of space. For this reason, summer residences were their most representative abode. Many of these villas have remained intact, along with their extremely fine furnishings, and are now private property; others are now used for different purposes but remain prestigious buildings at the service of tourism and culture, like the many hotels and tourist residences, museums and conference centres that are now housed in historic buildings in such famous holiday resorts as Sestri Levante, Santa Margherita and Varazze.
Veritable architectural gems like Villa Faraggiana in Albissola, Palazzo Borea in Sanremo and Villa Durazzo in Santa Margherita enjoy a high international reputation; and then there are all of those Genoese "palazzi" that recall the ancient splendours of a rich and cultivated society. A variety of styles and epochs are to be found in the luxurious rooms that there is no sign of from the outside - in the rooms and hallways of Baroque or Rococo buildings right through to the Art Nouveau style that was especially popular on the western Riviera.
The phenomenon also involved the hinterland, especially in the nineteenth century. Certain places in the province of Genoa, such as Crocefieschi, Savignone, Mignanego and Masone were chosen by noble Genoese families as the locations for their summer residences.