Loved by tourists for its beautiful palm trees, Passeggiata Imperatrice - Empress Walk - in Sanremo is a road dedicated to Tsarina Maria Alexandrovna, Empress of Russia, who used to spend long stays in the City of Flowers.
Sanremo, in the 1800, was a point of reference throughout the world for its climate, especially for English and Russian nobles, who travelled to the sea to escape the rigidity of their winters, thus enjoying Sanremo's mild temperature.
Maria Alexandrovna’s health was very poor, characterized by a constant feverish state which forced her in bed and didn’t allow her to participate to the events of the Tsar’s court.
When her husband Alexander II of the Romanov house became Tsar of Russia, Maria was forced against her will to participate to festivals and numerous social events as it was expected by the tsar's wife.
Countess Adele Roverizio of Roccasterone in Sanremo recommended a stay in Sanremo to the young Empress as, certainly, the mild climate would have benefitted greatly her poor health.
Hence, the Empress arrived in Sanremo and was warmly greeted at the train station by Prince Amedeo of Savoy, the Prefect, the Consul of Russia, the highest city authorities, and a multitude of people.
After thanking for the warm welcome, Tsarina Maria Alexandrovna got into a carriage pulled by two horses directed toward Hotel de Nice, one of the most luxurious and prestigious hotels in the city.
The stay in Sanremo was so beneficial to the Empress that, as a reward, she wanted to donate a large sum to the Municipality of Sanremo to purchase the first palm trees and adorn the walk she frequently traveled. In 1875, the Mayor and the municipal council of Sanremo decided to name the walk after her as a thank you; since then the walk is known by all as "Corso Imperatrice."
Another wish of Tsarina Maria Alexandrovna was to erect a church for the Russian Community, right next to the road, although, unfortunately, death caught her prematurely in 1880. The city had to wait 1912 before seeing the laying of the Russian Church ‘s foundation stone right by Corso Imperatrice as the Empress wished.
Deborah Bellotti
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