Muretto di Alassio

The Muretto di Alassio is a garden wall covered with ceramic tiles bearing the signatures of writers, performers, musicians and sporting figures. Begun in 1953, it preserves a distinctive record of the town's twentieth-century resort culture.

Why it matters

Painter Mario Berrino developed the idea through the circle associated with Caffè Roma. Early signatures included Ernest Hemingway, the Quartetto Cetra and guitarist Cosimo di Ceglie. The modest wall became a public artwork closely identified with Alassio.

What to notice

The tiles bring together individual signatures, civic emblems and playful images rather than following the uniform design of a conventional commemorative monument. Eros Pellini's bronze lovers add a sculptural element to the ensemble. The variety of names and forms conveys the social life that grew around the wall.

Context and history

The Muretto developed during the post-war years, when celebrity visits and seaside leisure shaped Alassio's public image. The Miss Muretto contest helped carry its name beyond the town. Later additions extended the installation, making it a record of successive generations rather than a fixed group completed in 1953.