Italian version 🇮🇹
San Michele di Pagana: what to see?
✅ Before starting with the reading, we put below some really interesting links, always on Rapallo and its surroundings. Take a look! 😉
- Tigullio’s treasures you cannot miss: The Christ of the Abyss
- San Michele di Pagana: what to see?
- Tigullio: 5 free places you can’t miss
- Rapallo Castle, the symbol of the city, by the sea
- Tigullio: 10 (and more) reason for a Winter visit
- Tigullio: 5 curious things you need to know!
- Moneglia: 5 things you must (absolutely) see
- Love in Portofino: the very original song
San Michele di Pagana, is ideally located halfway – between the municipalities of Santa Margherita Ligure and Rapallo.
It’s part of the Municipality of Rapallo, two kilometres away from the center.
➡ The locality of San Michele di Pagana is officially recognized by the municipal body as a Sestiere of the City of Rapallo.
Sestiere was an historic, medieval division of the town. Just like the modern neighborhoods.
Take also a look at: 5 things to see (absolutely) in Rapallo
How to get in San Michele di Pagana?
San Michele di Pagana is “in the middle”, between Rapallo and Santa Margherita Ligure. So, it’s very easy to reach by car (or motorbike). You must only follow the street indications. There you’ll find some little car parking.
If you like to walk, it’s just an easy and stunning promenade, on the sea. It takes only 20/25 minutes, both from Rapallo or Santa Margherita.
You can also take the Bus, both from Rapallo or Santa Margherita. Departures every 25 minutes – even less in summer.
Take also a look at: 5 things to see in Santa Margherita Ligure
San Michele di Pagana
The maritime coast is divided into three small bays: Pomaro ,Trelo (or Travello) and Prelo: each enclosed in the classic and typical Ligurian village.
Few houses, tall, narrow and close to the sea. The three inlets are connected to each other by a narrow cliff which, running along the sea, crosses the three maritime nuclei.
– Characteristic of San Michele di Pagana, are the arcades present “here and there” in the inlets , which were the shelter of the small boats of fishermen, when the village, like similar others Ligurian villages, made of fishing, its main work and livelihood.
Take also a look at: Rapallo Castle, the symbol of the city
What important happened here?
On November 12, 1920, was signed the famous “Treaty of Rapallo”, between the Kingdom of Italy and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, in Villa Spinola.
Wait a second. The’re were a lot of grumbling and controversies..
Villa Spinola, later known as “Villa del Trattato”, is in fact located near the respective municipal boundaries. At first glance, in fact, it seems nearest the Municipality of Santa Margherita.
Chroniclers 🎤 intervened to “immortalize” the historical event, caused a lot of confusion about the place. Some, in fact, attributed the seat of the treaty to Santa Margherita Ligure, instead of Rapallo.
After the Great War, Foreign Minister Carlo Sforza, with a note,gave the definitive and official confirmation: the Treaty was ✍ signed in Rapallo.
Take also a look at: Rapallo Music kiosk
What to see here?
First of all: you have to see the ⛱ beach.
San Michele is a well-known seaside resort in the summer, with private beach clubs and free access point. It’s also a splendid place off- season.
Children can play in the sand, you can take your 4-legged friends for a walk. Sunny from morning to late afternoon, it is the ideal place to spend days in company, breathing fresh air.
In a few meters you have: bar, ice cream sellers, pizzeria, restaurant, grocery store and more (there is also the post office!) Nothing is missing.
The Church
▶ Definitely, you must see the Church of San Michele Arcangelo, located in the “upper” part of San Michele di Pagana.
The first dating of the Church dates back to 1133, probably built on the remains of a pre-existing pagan building.
Interiors are in a single nave.
One of the most works of art inside, is the important painting of the Crucifixion, made by the Flemish painter Antoon Van Dyck, during his stay in San Michele di Pagana, between 1621 and 1624.
▶ To divide the two coves of Trelo and Prelo, going down by the steps from San Michele Arcangelo, there is a small municipal park, dedicated to the soldiers of Rapallo, died in the two World Wars.
The peculiarity of the park, called “Parco delle remembranze”, lies in the metal nameplates (with the soldier’s personal details) affixed to every tree in the park.
At the entrance, near the beach of Trelo, there is also a small altar-monument to the fallen soldiers. The location is truly impressive.
We advise you to visit it, even only for curiosity.
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