The city of Palm Trees

Legend has it that Saint Ampelio, the patron saint of the city, brought date pits from Egypt from which the first palm trees of Bordighera grew. Since then, these trees have shaped the city’s identity, earning it the name “City of Palms”.

The French architect Charles Garnier compared Bordighera to Palestine, while Charles Dickens was struck by their beauty. Claude Monet, fascinated by the light and landscapes, painted dozens of canvases here. In 1899, the German botanist Eduard Strasburger recognized Bordighera as the northernmost date palm grove in the world.

The palms hold not only a scenic but also a cultural value: for centuries, their leaves have been used to weave the traditional “parmureli”, pale ornaments carried in procession on Palm Sunday. A living symbol that unites nature, history and faith.