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The history, the future

The idea born from a young local potter immediately involved the most popular potters active today in the area and tour operators who represent summer tourism, sea baths. A submerged nativity scene represents the fusion of the local ceramic tradition and the main form of tourism that characterize the area. Two essential elements for the Albisole that meet in a striking, original and unique way. Nationally there are examples of individual submerged statues, the best known and close to us is the Christ of the abyss of Portofino (GE) while less known is the Christ of the Gallinara Island (SV), the immersion of groups of statues in Italy is present only on Lake Maggiore where, during the Christmas holidays, a small nativity scene consisting of about ten statues is immersed a few meters from the coast, to be removed after the Epiphany. On the international scene in Cancoon, Mexico alone, about 500 concrete statues were immersed in the bay, representing the most important submerged works. In the Ligurian context, the submerged crib of the Albisole would be part of an ideal tourist route from Albenga to Portofino for diving and snorkeling enthusiasts that would involve culture, religion and nature through the natural reserve of the island of Bergeggi and the wreck of the Haven, the largest open to visitors in the Mediterranean.

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ALBISOLA 
Not just the beach ....
Art and Culture for one 
unique holiday!

A holiday in Albisola?

Let's start by defining which Albisola. There are two municipalities in the area: Albisola Superiore and Albisola Marina. The first is located to the east of the Sansobbia stream, towards Genoa, the other is located towards Savona to the west of the stream. Two municipalities with a single soul aimed at tourism, art and culture without failing to offer nature trails on the heights close to the historic centers. 

We arrive in Albissola Marina coming from Savona, the "Walk of the Artists" welcomes us with its "walkable" works, the mosaics of the most famous potters become a carpet for tourists. The alley parallel to the Aurelia and its branches host shops, restaurants and above all the workshops of the Albisolese master potters. The church of Nostra Signora della Concordia welcomes in its marvelous square those who walk the staircase going up from the village, from the square it is enough to cross a wall that we can enter the MUDA (MUseo Diffuso Albisola), container of art and culture. If we move inland from the coast we will discover the architecture of the eighteenth century. of Villa Faraggiana.

Back on the Aurelia we cross the Sansobbia stream, the walk passes over the old railway bridge and continues towards the east. The bathing establishments follow one another with the old village behind them where we find shops, ice cream parlors and ceramic artisans. On the walk, ceramic works surround the natural landscape, continuing towards Celle you will cross the suggestive tunnel of the old railway. Returning to the main road, Corso Ferrari, you can visit the "Manlio Trucco Ceramics Museum".  If you take Corso Mazzini from the coast towards the hinterland you can  detour into the nearby Via Della Rovere to admire the eighteenth-century Villa Gavotti. 

As we have seen, the Albisole are not only sea but also Art and Culture .....

MANY REASONS FOR A HOLIDAY !!!

DISCOVER THE CRIB WITH US 

Some pictures ...... See more at the Gallery

Word to local administrations

Luca Ottonello
Tourism Councilor
Municipality of Albisola Superiore

Arch. Nicoletta Negro
Councilor for Culture
Municipality of Albissola Marina

Albisola is known for its beaches and its sea, but even more so, at least in the past or now only in the mainstream of sector experts, for its ceramics. It would be better to say: the two Albisoles. Because both have been for centuries the cradle of the ceramic artisan tradition of the area and the world capital of this art. Two municipalities, a single territory and a unique idea to aim at the renewal of the local attraction. The realization of the Crib of the Abyss can represent the innovative idea that will allow the Albisole to acquire a new unique cultural asset that can become an important lever for the relaunch of local tourism. A traditional art of excellence, such as ceramics, would thus become the tool to follow a path of renewal of the knowledge of art itself. The Nativity of the Abyss will become an original and fascinating attraction for local, regional, national and international tourists who will make Albisola known and recognized again as the home of ceramics in all its forms and styles. A partnership, the one between culture and nature, formidable to bet on. This operation also brings within the potential to generate new jobs and to encourage entrepreneurial initiatives aimed at offering services and experiential products in the context of the sea economy to the flows of visitors who may arrive in Albisola. The installation of this great work, due to the nature of the idea with which it was designed, offers the possibility of developing different collateral activities, hoped for by virtuous citizens and young entrepreneurs, which allow tourists to discover and learn from different points of view the statues of the most famous and ancient history, I am thinking of: underwater visits, snorkeling, excursions aboard electric propulsion vehicles, boats, sailing boats, canoes, etc ... Directly proportional will be the growth and development of new segments of tourism such as maritime tourism, nautical tourism, eco-tourism, cultural tourism, religious tourism, experiential tourism that can generate a positive and profitable impact on the Albisolese territory. Personally, from the point of view of the role I play, I believe that assisting and being able to contribute  the realization of this project, albeit ambitious, is a duty so that it can prove to be an excellent opportunity to enrich the local cultural heritage to be valued and communicated to the world in the most effective way possible. This would mean the achievement of a great result for two reasons: it would satisfy and give credit to the initiative of a consortium of local, public and private actors, who, believing in the potential of an idea, have transformed it into reality for the benefit of the community. local and their territory; secondly, we would be faced with an important action of innovation and economic revitalization that starting from the investment in local tradition would bring the tourist destination "Albisola" to the limelight for having invested in one of the most neglected but so powerful resources : the culture.

The project to insert ceramic works of art on the seabed is certainly a beautiful intuition, which already had great success years ago. In fact, I remember with pleasure the experience, then set, of the "marine oasis of the Albisole" and still a few years ago, now proposed again, the "crib of the abyss". However you build it and whatever the specific theme you intend to give to the initiative, the connotation remains firm: combining the ceramic culture of the Albisole with sport, for the relaunch of sporting and cultural tourism. The idea, already developed, with different techniques also in other countries in the world, starts from a simple concept: the sea is an inexhaustible source of opportunities and makes us an undisputed tourist attraction, but to work ceramics, whether we like the stereotype or not, it is what has been recognized for centuries as the activity we do best. Our history is in fact closely linked to manufacturing and the name of the Albisole remains linked to our deep-rooted tradition, which still enjoys great fame today, both nationally, but above all on an international scale. A project of this magnitude, therefore, is destined to make people talk about itself, more abroad than locally, and is able to mobilize an important tourist flow of people, a much more widespread market than one can imagine. A project of this nature, however, requires, according to our Administration, a fundamental requirement: the quality of the product offered. Our glorious history requires it and for this reason we launch a hypothesis: an international art competition, for the choice of artists to be involved, a virtuous path therefore, which has the ambition to leave the local enclosures and have the importance it deserves. .

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