The Via Iulia Augusta , built in 13 BC, came out of the Porta d'Arroscia, the south gate of the Roman city and headed towards the mountain, where it climbed, according to a partially preserved route, up to the top and from here, on the flat, halfway up, it proceeded towards today's Alassio. Along the way there were, according to the custom of the time, funeral monuments that were sometimes very impressive. Of the Roman road there is only the path reduced mostly to a poor dirt path, with appreciable remains of some monuments. A walk along the ancient road is fascinating for the extraordinary views that the route offers, while it winds through the Mediterranean scrub and the background of the sea in the company of the superb vision of the Gallinara island .
The visit of the Via can be limited to the last Roman monument, or it can continue to the promontory overlooking Alassio, where the Romanesque church of Santa Croce is located. In the first case, on foot, it takes at least two hours to get there and back, in the second three to four hours.

The route of the Via Iulia Augusta

Departure from Piazza del Popolo, cross the bridge over the river, take a short detour to see, in the Centa riverbed, the remains of the early Christian church of San Clemente , built over the base of the Roman baths. Proceed towards the mountain and take the provincial road to the right for San Fedele : ten, twenty meters and climb along the asphalted steep slope that leads to the mountain on the left. A few steps and then, indicated by a sign, the detour to reach the Pilone and the amphitheater . Go up for a few hundred meters and first meet the Pilone, the name given by the Albenganese to the funeral monument visible from the city (when there were fewer buildings), in the past considered a lighthouse of the ancient port that opened at the foot of the mountain. Higher up you reach a plateau from which you can enjoy a splendid panorama. According to some scholars, the oppidum of the ancient Ligurians Ingauni was located here. On the right, the remains of the amphitheater can be seen behind a metal mesh. There are only structures on the ground just emerging from the ground, the elevated parts are missing.

You pass, successively, next to the remains of the Church and the Abbey of San Martino , now transformed into a private villa. And finally we find ourselves flat. After about fifty meters begins the series of archaeological remains of funeral monuments named with letters of the alphabet in reverse order for those coming from Albenga: G, F, E, D, H, L, C, B, A. The monument G it is located downstream of the path, the others upstream. Alongside all the monuments, explanatory signs have been placed with a reconstruction of the original appearance. Particularly interesting is the monument F which has an interior reconstructed and covered in later periods. After the last monument A, after crossing a small stream, the only perfectly preserved and still visible stretch of Roman road appears. It is 3.5 meters wide, has the typical paving of Roman roads, two sidewalks on either side, and a protective wall upstream.

Those who wish can continue the walk, which offers wonderful views, such as the Russian villa overlooking the sea. Along the way you will come across the 10th century church of Santa Maria dei Monti to then reach the Arch which in the Middle Ages marked the boundary between Albenga and Alassio and finally the Romanesque church of Santa Croce .

On the way back, arrived at monument G, you can take the stairs that descend towards the underlying Vadino district and pay a visit to the church and convent of San Bernardino dei Minori Osservanti . The complex has undergone an incredible series of hardships: after the confiscation in the nineteenth century it was transformed into a barracks, a prison and private homes. After a recent restoration, the Church is open for worship, with interesting frescoes on one nave. The convent, which preserves some remarkable frescoes, has recently been transformed into a school; in the cloister and in the adjacent rooms there is the command of the traffic police.

The sports trail