Sanremo in the XIX century was a small town whose inhabitants mainly lived on agricolture and maritime transport of goods and people. Fishing was not a main activity but just a way to get food.
Although it had a harbour, this never developed because of various reasons: at first it was Genoa powership that did not allow for it, then the lack of routes to the other regions, and finally the lack of money invested in improving transport.
Imperia became the commercial port in this area.

When the demand for local products (mainly citruses) decreased and the railway arrived in Sanremo, the harbour began to host pleasure ships owned by rich European travellers. Anyway it was not well equipped for docking and moreover it was not a very safe sheltering place.
The first bathing establishments also appeared. They were not as many and as well equipped as the modern ones!

After Napoleon the Great’s fall, English rich travellers discovered the South of France, the so-called French Riviera or Cote d’Azur, an area blessed by natural beauties and mild climate. From there they came to the nearest part of Italy, which was to become one of their favourites at the end of 1800.
This was the start of a new economy based on tourism.

The development of tourism was helped by some writers (John Ruffini and others) who made the Riviera popular in Europe and by some local entrepreneurs who started to build hotels for the rich guests and to advertise the Riviera.
Most of these hotels were given English names such as Hotel de Londres, Hotel d’Angleterre, Hotel de la Grande Bretagne, Hotel Victoria (after the English Queen) and some of them still exist today.

To host rich tourists several hotels and villas were built in those years; then luxury shops, banks, and even churches also appeared.
Transport was improved (the railway arrived in Sanremo in 1872).
It was a period of wealth for the whole population!

The fame of the town spread all over Europe, especially among very rich and important people. The Kaiser Frederick III of Germany came to Sanremo to take advantage of the climate: he was ill with laringitis and although he could not recover he could improve his health.
Another important person who enjoyed her stay in Sanremo was the empress of Russia Maria Alexandrovna who made a special present to this town: a number of palm trees to be planted along a road by the sea that took its name after her: Corso Imperatrice.

Another important fan of Sanremo was Edward Lear, painter, poet and musician.
Lear was also ill, but the mild climate did good to him too. He wanted a house of his own built where the luxury hotels were being built, and he had to had a second one built after one of the new hotels prevented him from seeing the sea!
Lear died in Sanremo and was buried in the local cemetery with his beloved cat!