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Villa Zirio was built in 1870 by the French architect Berenger, commissioned by lord Giovanni Battista Zirio.
The building features a loggia with paired columns, decorative elements, and a monumental gable; inside, there are several decorations by Filippo Ghersi, exquisite paintings by Gio Batta Novaro and eye-catching frescoes by Francesco Semino.

Along the path that crosses the park, there is the delicate bronze “Maternity” by the sculptor Franco Bargiggia.
The entrance to the villa is marked by two gigantic specimens of Ficus macrophylla, with huge branch-like aerial roots.

The predominant vegetation is made of palm trees, such as Washingtonia robusta and Washingtonia filifera, Phoenix canariensis, Livistona chinensis, Syagrus romanzoffiana, Caryota urens, while, among other species, Lagunaria patersonia, Strelitzia alba, and Cycas revoluta can be admired.

Today, Villa Zirio belongs to the Municipality and it is home to the Tourism Office, the Municipal Symphony Orchestra, the Regional Observatory for Plant Diseases, and Sanremo’s Congress and Tourism Consortium.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)