Painter

Michele Allavena was born in Bordighera on 10th February 1863 and moved to Sanremo with his family at an early age.

From an early age he showed an intense passion for drawing and art, for which he was sent by the painting master Giuseppe Isola di Genova to carry out his studies. He graduated with full marks from the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence.

He stayed in the Tuscan capital for a few years, then he went to Rome to perfect his study of the classics, then returned to Sanremo to work as a painter.

He was particularly appreciated as a portrait painter, landscape painter and still life author.

Certainly the alleys of the Pigna were his favourite subjects to portray with the delightful range of shades of his watercolours. He produced most of his works in his studio in Corso Umberto: tourists at the time were particularly attracted by his paintings which now enrich private collections all over the world.

From his paintings emerges the photograph of what was Sanremo in its golden age, in all its picturesque and suggestive aspects.
His three sons, Rosa, Giovanni Battista and Fanny, began painting and continued his work with great success.

On 26th October 1949 he died in Sanremo.

(source Marco Mauro)