Another of the four "Historic" Hotels

One of the pioneering hotels in Sanremo, but with a hotel life not very long. It was the first of the great hotels that you would meet when arriving in the city from the road from Genoa.

Built in 1864, designed by the architect Giovenale Gastaldi, it was full of reception rooms and a magnificent botanical garden that descended to the sea (the 1884 guide of the German Baron Von Hutter described the garden as "extraordinarily richness" in terms of rare plants) and had illustrious clients such as the former minister Lord John Russel in 1866 and, before that, in 1865, the French Emperor Napoleon III who stayed at the Victoria for a day with his wife.

Guests could enjoy the many activities in the Hotel such as Cricket games, Lawn Tennis, Billiards, Library, Conversation and Reading Room.

The 1882 Marest guidebook describes it as follows:" the first one arriving from Genoa on the provincial road, is one of the oldest hotels in San Remo, and has the largest garden, filled with palm, lemon and orange trees, all surrounded by rare flowers.
Its owner, Mr. Colombo Panicci does every year, after the winter season, all the enlargements, all the innovations necessary to meet all the needs, all the needs for the comforts of our times and to make it worthy of the illustrious guests who settle in it. First-class flats, kitchen and cellar ".
(note by Marco Mauro)

Over time it underwent many transformations. In 1907 the Municipality authorised the renovation and conversion into a Convent and Women's Pension of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart, who were already the owners.
It became a war hospital in 1915, together with other large hotels in Sanremo, where mainly the soldiers who were intoxicated by lethal gases were hospitalised, given the healthy air of our area.

We have no certain information about its destination during the twenty years. Friends have confirmed that it was used for various activities, among which the sports activities of the GIL (Gioventù Italiana del Littorio) a term that was used for a long time even after the war, even if only as toponymy.

In the following years, the structure hosted, in various capacities, several schools, among which the Start-up, which at the time was an alternative to the Medie. Evening schools or dopolavorite schools.

For the generations born in the immediate post-war period and even afterwards, the large spaces south of the building were a playground, athletic competitions and, friends always remember, for a certain period a "Teatro delle Palme" was also set up where concerts of classical and opera music were performed.
It also housed the Magistrate's Court before it was transferred to the new Court (now transferred to Imperia).

With the settlement of the "Giovanni Pascoli" Middle Schools, you can reach our group.

At the moment the building is empty because there have been structural failures, the school has been moved elsewhere, and it has not yet been established what to do with the building.

(part of the text, source: Una Stagione lunga cent'anni, by Bruno Monticone)