Casino di Sanremo

Opened in January 1905, the Casino di Sanremo is a Liberty and Art Deco palace. The Festival della canzone held its early editions here, beneath the building's decorated domes.

Why it matters

Sanremo's casino is a licensed gaming house and one of the most architecturally ambitious buildings of the city's resort age. The palace was conceived in the era when winter tourists arrived by train for concerts, receptions and cards; it combines the functions of a casino, theatre and concert hall. Its architecture remains a prominent monument of the Riviera's Belle Époque.

What to notice

The facade reflects the work of French architect Eugène Ferret, whose project was approved in 1903. The building opened in January 1905 as the Kursaal before becoming Palazzo del Casinò. A 1927 decree by podestà Pietro Agosti confirmed the municipal gaming monopoly; works in 1928 added the side wings and domes. The halls retain their reception-room grandeur. Luigi Pirandello appeared here in 1933, and the Festival was held here from 1951 until the mid-1970s. Its history also includes prominent figures such as King Farouk of Egypt and Vittorio De Sica.

Context and history

The casino grew from a municipal gamble: at the end of the nineteenth century banker Bartolomeo Asquasciati financed the city's project, and the French-designed pleasure palace opened in January 1905 facing public gardens. Its first decades combined private parties, theatre and gaming. The twentieth century added the municipal gaming concession under Agosti, the domed expansions of 1928 and twenty-five Festival editions from 1951 to 1976, after which the contest moved to the Ariston theatre. Ownership remained civic throughout its history.