Portofino, a Short History

The Portofino’s myth echoes in these pages by Salvator Gotta, one of the most popular writers of the Italian ’900.

Gotta, in love with the small Ligurian village, chosen as his «buen retiro», described it in a short history: from the many conjectures on the origins of its name, to the Saint George’s cult, to the many famous visitors, Conradin of Swabia, Richard king of England, Napoleon, Wilhelm II.

This is a literary guide, investigating the magic of a place where «the houses and the properties display an apparent poverty, and where rich people try to do their very best to humble themselves during their enjoyment».

Gotta flies with his own words over the bay where the fishermen houses reflect themselves, over the little square ending over the harbour waters where the seamen beach their boats, over the porches where luxury shops face, over the restaurants showing their tables: a peaceful oasis in a place of an incredible natural beauty, which kept its charm over the years.


Salvator Gotta (Montalto Dora 1887-Rapallo 1980), graduated in law, began his literary career achieving a great success in 1917 with Il figlio inquieto. Coming back after the war he started again to write, being inspired by his experience in the front line. So he wrote his most beloved fiction, Piccolo alpino, published again by Mursia in 2008. His rich literary activity spaces from fiction to novels, also passing through theatrical works.