How the British Came to Bordighera on the Italian Riviera

A 19th century British winter - it meant at best short, damp days, often shrouded in fog; at worst soot-laden air and bronchial ailments. For the well off, escape to a sunny, coastal winter resort was an option - Nice, Cannes and Menton on the French Riviera were popular destinations although by the mid-1800s they were becoming rather crowded, fairly socially demanding and somewhat more expensive than when they were first established. When John Ruffini's unassuming little book entitled Doctor Antonio was published in Edinburgh in 1855 it must have been exactly what many of its winter-bound readers had been waiting for. As winter closed in, there was comfort and inspiration in reading about an as yet undiscovered place abroad where the climate was milder, the air was so much cleaner, and the surroundings were rural and charmingly rustic. So much so that from 1855 to around 1935 the story of Bordighera's growth and development reads like a Who's Who of the British upper class. More than 150 years since the first winter "settlers" arrived, the town's British heritage is still remembered and commemorated in its tennis courts, its Anglican church, its international library and museum. In How the British came to Bordighera on the Italian Riviera I explore this unusual aspect of Bordighera's history. I have not attempted to write a comprehensive guide to modern Bordighera, but at the end of How the British came to Bordighera on the Italian Riviera I have included some hints to help you plan a visit.