Some of San Remo

 

Kim already gave you a glimpse into what makes San Remo most famous these days, and that is its large casino--the only one on the Italian Rivera. For us, however, there were two other sites that took precedence and impressed us much more and they were: Alfred Nobel's (as in peace prize) villa and the grounds of the International Institute for Human Rights which are part of a city park planted by Swedish merchants.

Nobel(originally from Sweden) was an unrelenting inventor and researcher who became most famous for inventing dynamite; his empire included factories built in 20 countries around the world. This was during the period of the industrial revolution (mid to late 1800s)and this dynamite led to railway tunnels, canals, ports and increased weaponry. His large wealth allowed him to move to San Remo in 1891 where he purchased a "Pompeian style" villa on the sea front. He called the place, "My Nest" and added a laboratory and 40 meter pier reaching out to the sea where he conducted dangerous experiments. When his neighbors complained about all the explosions he bought their land and continued his work. The villa now belongs to the Italian government. It has a very nice museum that not only looks at Nobel's family and work history but also the history of the 1800's (including the sad fact that his younger brother died in an explosion in one of Nobel's factories). The museum also displays all the names of the winners from each category of the Nobel prize since its inception. In his will he bequeathed that with the interest from his fortune, five prizes will be rewarded each year recognizing the greatest achievements for humanity in these fields: Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and contributions for world peace. In 1968 a prize for Economics was added by the Bank of Sweden.

Until the end of his life, Mr. Nobel's work was a complete contradiction to what became his life philosophy and legacy. In his final years he worked to improve fuses, silent detonation, improve the rotation of bullets and the cooling of rockets all while coming to believe that disarmament was the only path to peace. Mr. Nobel died from a stroke at the age of 66 on December 10, 1896. Five years later, the first Nobel prizes were awarded for the first time. Each year, on December 10, in honor of the day of his death, the awards ceremony takes place. Flowers from San Remo always decorate the prize ceremonies in Stockholm.

Moving on. Another thing we really liked about this area of Liguria is that it is so green and lush. That led us to the beautifully landscaped gardens of the Villa Ormond. It was here that we noticed the Institute for Human Rights; at the time, they were hosting a conference on immigration issues. The grounds are stunningly beautiful and full of many sized palm trees. It truly is an oasis and was a wonderful place to stroll, sit, and be at peace.