Overview
A jewel of Byzantine art in Sanremo
Golden domes, Byzantine shapes and bright colours. Standing before the Russian Church in Sanremo, you will feel as if you were in the heart of Moscow and will be left speechless by the unexpected contrast between typically Orthodox architecture and the nearby Ligurian sea.
The construction of the church dates to the late 1800s, when Tsarina Maria Alexandrovna, wife of Tsar Alexander II, was in the city. It was she who gave the city the palm trees that still today shade Corso Imperatrice, named in her honour, and after her, many Russian aristocrats spent the winter on the Riviera di Ponente. Inaugurated in 1913, the church is still in use and a point of reference for Sanremo's Orthodox community.
The exterior has the typical appearance of Orthodox churches, starting with the five bulbous domes surmounted by three-armed Russian crosses. However, there is no lack of eclectic features, where the Byzantine style blends with different influences creating a unique result.
The interior is unfinished, because after the 1917 revolution, the necessary funds to complete the construction were lacking. Yet you will be interested in the crypt, where members of the Montenegrin royal family were buried.
