Varazze is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Savona in the Italian region Liguria, located about 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of Genoa and about 11 kilometres (7 mi) northeast of Savona in the Riviera di Ponente. Nearby in the Ligurian Apennines is the Monte Beigua with its Natural Regional Park. Varazze, in the province of Savona, is situated on the Western Riviera, resting within a vast inlet between Punta della Mola and Punta dell’Aspera. Varazze is an ancient medieval village (dating back to the 11th century) that stretches between the Teiro torrent and the current Via Buranello. The walled village had five doors which opened onto the inside, both towards the suburbs that reached right up to the beach. The ancient urban layout was characterised by wide market and lemon gardens, creating a scenery that is congenial with the development of élite tourism (described by Remigio Zena in the novel “La bocca del Lupo(The Wolf’s Mouth)), then transformed by both the new road network and the expansion of residential areas reaching right up to the hill. Recalling its historical past, it is important to mention, in particular, the 16th century church of St. Ambrogio, with its Romanesque-Gothic bell tower together with the church of St. Domenico dating back to 1419, renovated in the 17th and 19th centuries. Today, Varazze is a famous tourist-seaside resort. The growth of the new tourist port, the many coastal beaches with 40 seaside resorts, the possibility to make excursions in the Beigua regional nature park, the beauty of the ancient medieval village, make Varazze one of the most popular tourist destinations. In fact, many tourists that visit Varazze come from the Piedmont and the Lombardy regions as well as from foreign countries (especially the French, German, Swiss and Dutch). In 2007, Varazze was awarded with the Blue Flag, for the quality of its extremely beautiful beaches. It is also known for the pleasurable climatic conditions all year round and in particular for the pleasantness of its waters: the temperature of the sea during the summer months reaches 27 degrees.