Liguria · Genova
Chiavari
The Tigullio capital between Portofino and the Cinque Terre, a 27,000-person Genoese trading town built around a thirteenth-century grid of porticoed streets.
- Best time
- Apr–Oct
- By car
- 32 min from Genoa
- By train
- Station in the comune
- Population
- 27,307
Known for
CHIAVARI CHAIR
Light-frame bentwood chair invented in 1807 by Giuseppe Gaetano Descalzi, exported worldwide, the chair Napoleon ordered for the Tuileries.
PORTICOED CARUGGIO
Continuous Gothic arcades on both sides of the medieval commercial street, the most complete thirteenth-century Genoese plan in Liguria.
NOSTRA SIGNORA DELL'ORTO
Cathedral and minor basilica built after the 1610 Marian apparition, Pantheon-style portico added 1841 as a vow against cholera.
When to visit
Best · Apr–Oct
- J12°
- F13°
- M15°
- A17°
- M21°
- J25°
- J28°
- A29°
- S25°
- O21°
- N16°
- D13°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 2020–2024. The sea is warmest in August at 28° and coldest in February at 14°. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
Why come
Chiavari sits on the Riviera di Levante where the Entella meets the Gulf of Tigullio, thirty kilometers east of Genoa. A pre-Roman necropolis from the eighth and seventh centuries BC has been excavated under the centre. Genoa raised a castle here in 1147 and laid out the medieval town as a grid of porticoed streets, both sides of the carruggio continuous under Gothic columns, the most complete thirteenth-century Genoese commercial plan in Liguria.
The Chiavari family produced two doges of the Republic. In 1801 Napoleon made the city the capital of the Apennines department, one of three administrative units that absorbed Liguria into the French Empire. The Cattedrale di Nostra Signora dell'Orto was built 1613-1633 after a Marian apparition on 2 July 1610 to a local citizen, Sebastiano Descalzo; the neoclassical marble portico modelled on the Pantheon went up in 1841 as a vow for survival from cholera.
Chiavari became a diocese in 1892 and the church a minor basilica in 1904. Slate work, silk weaving and the eponymous Chiavari chair are still made in town.
Read on
Chiavari in our articles
The 6 best olive oil towns within 90 minutes of Genova6 towns, Chiavari among them.
The best beach towns in the province of Genova7 towns, Chiavari among them.
The best olive oil towns you can reach by train in Liguria7 towns, Chiavari among them.
The best towns with a serious restaurant in the province of Genova7 towns, Chiavari among them.
How to get there
From Genoa (GOA), about 41 minutes by car.
Florence / Pisa (PSA) is about 1h 43m away.
By car from the centre of Pisa 1h 34m or Milan 2 hours.
There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.
Coming from Genoa, Pisa or Milan?
Coming by train into Genova Piazza Principe? Chiavari is about 38 minutes away by road.
What to see
Cattedrale di Nostra Signora dell'Orto
Built 1613-1633 after a Marian apparition in 1610, neoclassical Pantheon-style portico added 1841 as a cholera vow, minor basilica from 1904.
Caruggio porticato
Thirteenth-century medieval commercial street, both sides continuous under Gothic-columned porticoes, the most intact Genoese plan in Liguria.
Castello di Chiavari
Genoese fortress built in 1147 above the original town, irregular polygonal walls, partly absorbed into later residential buildings.
Civico Museo Archeologico
Holds finds from the pre-Roman necropolis under the city centre, eighth and seventh-century BC tombs of the local Liguri population.
Lungomare di Chiavari
Two kilometers of seafront promenade with Bandiera Blu beach below, the eastern anchor of the Tigullio walking circuit to Lavagna.
Palazzo Rocca
Seventeenth-century noble residence with frescoed halls and Italian garden, now home to the civic museums.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Chiavari fits in a slow Italy circuit.
Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.
We recommend
Where to eat
Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.
DuoRistorante
Duo carries two Gambero Rosso forks (82/100), plus a spot in the Michelin Guide.
Antica Osteria LuchinRistorante
Antica Osteria Luchin carries a place on Italy's historic-locali register.
Da FeliceRistorante
Da Felice holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
Gran caffè DefillaCaffè
Gran caffè Defilla has a place on Italy's historic-locali register to its name.
Lord NelsonRistorante
A spot in the Michelin Guide, at Lord Nelson.
The Sunday letter
Chiavari got its letter. One town every Sunday, free. The photo, the food, the festa.
Living here
- Population 27,307
- A local hubi
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Train station in the comune
- Nearest airport Genoa, 41 min drive
- Regional capital Genova, 32 min drive
Common questions
- What is Chiavari known for?
- Chiavari is the Tigullio capital between Portofino and the Cinque Terre, a 27,000-person Genoese trading town built around a thirteenth-century grid of porticoed streets.
- Where is Chiavari?
- Chiavari is a comune in the province of Genova, in Liguria, at 3 meters above sea level.
- What is the nearest airport to Chiavari?
- Genoa (GOA), about 41 minutes by car.
- Can you get to Chiavari without a car?
- Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
- How long is the drive from Pisa to Chiavari?
- About 1h 34m by car.
- When is the best time to visit Chiavari?
- Best in Apr–Oct. August is the warmest month, averaging 29 degrees, and December the wettest, with about 15 rain days.
- Which other towns are like Chiavari?
- Lavagna, Loano and Rapallo.
- How many people live in Chiavari?
- 27,307 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 3 m
- Population: 27,307
- Surface area: 12.23 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
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Chiavari appears on this themed pick from our Collections:
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