Tourism, security, major projects – Mayor Flavio Di Muro is thinking big in Ventimiglia
Flavio Di Muro was elected Mayor of the Italian town in May 2023 © Monaco Tribune / Théo Briand
In an exclusive interview, the Mayor of Ventimiglia talks about his plans for his town, and relations with the French border towns and Monaco.
With Monaco’s new port in Ventimiglia, more and more attention is being focused on the last Italian town before France. For a long time, French and Monegasque border residents loved to go to the market and pick up typical Italian wares. The new mayor of Ventimiglia, Flavio Di Muro, wants to do more and to change the town’s image. He has set himself a substantial goal: “to transform Ventimiglia into an international city.”
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We caught up with him to find out more about his ambitions and the future plans for the revival of ‘the floral gateway to Italy’.
What is your connection with Ventimiglia?
I grew up in Ventimiglia. I’ve worked in a number of local non-profits, organising events and functions. I have a deep sense of civic responsibility and a strong attachment to the town. I have never lost that even when, in the past, I have held positions that took me away from Ventimiglia, to Genoa or Rome. In my role as a politician and public servant, I have always put the needs of my fellow citizens first.
Where do you want to take the town?
My goal is to transform Ventimiglia from a border town into an international city. The city’s geographical location should no longer be a problem, but rather a driving force for its development. To that end, in this first year of our tenure, we have been working to improve the town’s image, which also implies residents and tourists must feel safe.
Our aim is to make tourists stay a little longer
Tourism is our second goal. We are essentially a commercial town, thanks to local tourism, with French and Monegasque people coming to buy products that are less expensive than in their own country, and particularly interested in our wine and food. Our aim is to make current and future tourists stay a little longer.
Today, the data we have for the first year shows a 14% increase in tourists to the city. Over 25% of them are of foreign nationality. These are encouraging figures that suggest we should make strategic choices and investments in tourism, which we are already doing.
You mentioned safety. What have you done to improve it?
We fenced off all the bivouacs and unauthorised camps, and walled up the abandoned ruins. The municipal police have been equipped with tasers. We have also increased the number of municipal police officers and introduced a night shift. We have issued directives, which we are enforcing, and we have worked closely with the Prefect to create fixed and mobile law enforcement units, including army personnel.
The measures taken by our administration have made it possible to manage the coexistence of the resident population and the immigrant population for the first time.
Certain areas of the city, where encampments, bivouacs and illegal activities were prevalent, are now under surveillance. Some clean-up operations are still required, and we have just received a special grant from the government for these. We are also working to evacuate the last remaining illegal camp, on the riverbed.
Today, the flow of migrants is much lower than it was before I took office, and the measures taken by our administration have made it possible to manage the coexistence of the resident population and the immigrant population for the first time.
What major projects are underway in Ventimiglia?
We have the footbridge, the bridge that was destroyed by the floods in 2020 and that is very dear to the people of Ventimiglia. It will be smaller, less expensive, quicker to build and more like the one we were attached to [compared to another project considered most recently, Ed.]. It is the emblem of Ventimiglia’s rebirth.
The major projects aim to reinvent the city’s image in order to attract private investment, which we support
We intend to restart the project to develop the Dell’Orto Sisters’ complex, because we lack accommodation and hotel facilities, especially at the high end. We have a real estate complex between the port and the upper town that can be sold to experienced investors to create a 5-star hotel.
The major projects aim to reinvent the city’s image in order to attract private investment, which we support of course. The latest was Flavio Briatore, who opened the Twiga. You hear about incidents and brawls between migrants in Ventimiglia, but we now have successful entrepreneurs who are opening businesses and creating jobs for the people of Ventimiglia.
What is the status of the Marina Development Corporation’s Campus and Hotel projects?
On the one hand, there are private interests, with a high-quality development programme that we appreciate. On the other hand, there are public interests that we need to consider and focus on.
I think that, in the coming weeks, we will find a way to do something about the administrative procedure and the spin-offs for the town. There are favourable assessments on the hydrogeological aspects of the establishments, but there are still many hurdles to overcome, for both the Campus and the seafront projects.
How do you respond to those who say that the projects are of no interest to the city’s residents?
I think that any investment that creates jobs is of immense interest. The university campus is the subject of particular debate, because access points have an impact. If they want to maintain their approach and claim that building the Campus is in the public interest, then we have to ask them for free access or preferential rates for residents.
How are you addressing the environmental concerns on the city’s development projects, in particular the Twiga one?
They are unfounded, because Twiga is simply a restaurant, and all you need to open a restaurant is a works permit. The quayside, where the boats that bring customers back and forth dock, has fuelled most of the criticism. However, it obtained all the necessary approvals from the relevant authorities, in this case the University of Genoa and the Liguria regional authority.
If a scientist, a policy analyst or a philosopher thinks he knows more about protecting the environment and wants to have the bad guys who want to do business on the one side, and the good guys who want to protect the seaweed on the other, he needs to take it up with the appropriate bodies and those who are qualified to give decisions for or against, and the decisions were in favour of it.
What’s new in terms of transport?
In the space of a year, we have made great progress on the design of ‘Aurelia bis’, an alternative link road to the traditional Aurelia, to ease bottlenecks and improve traffic flow.
In my previous professional capacity, I supported electrifying Ventimiglia station, so that the modern, fast trains from the rest of Liguria, which today stop at Savona, can come through. This will also allow for faster interchange with French trains. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has committed to it, to the tune of €4.5 million. We hope to complete the project within two years.
If someone wants to take a bus from the Piazza della Libertà to Menton casino and back in the evening, they should be able to do so
Also, I won a European Union tender called “b-solution”. We are ready to present solutions for a local public bus line, which could go at least as far as Menton from Ventimiglia. If someone wants to take a bus from the Piazza della Libertà to Menton casino and back in the evening, they should be able to do so. If someone from Menton wants to come and shop at the covered market in the morning then go home, they should be able to do so. Today, there is a legal barrier that prevents our buses from connecting.
In terms of tourism, what type of clientele are you hoping to attract?
We are putting a series of strategies, investments and initiatives in place to open up to all types of clientele. Fortunately, Ventimiglia is a vast territory, with the sea, the mountains, spectacular scenery and town centres to suit all budgets and all ages. We’ve got everything! A family that comes here on holiday can even split up: the daughter goes for lunch at Twiga, the father goes fishing in the river and the mother stays at the beach sunbathing. We simply need to be aware of our potential and know how to exploit it and communicate it as effectively as possible.
How would you describe the relationship between Ventimiglia and Monaco?
Excellent! And not just for the port. In August, we will be dedicating one of our most important events, ‘Agosto Medievale’, to our relationship with the Grimaldi family. We follow their private projects and have recently joined the Grimaldi Historic Sites.
Monaco employs 5,000 of our citizens
We are in constant contact with the Government of Monaco and I think that this year we have established an excellent relationship. Monaco employs 5,000 of our citizens, cross-border workers as they are called, so it’s natural that Monaco should see Ventimiglia as a prime platform for its investments.
Monaco also made a contribution to the construction of the footbridge. We could also consider developing new projects for the future. They certainly pay particular attention to the town of Ventimiglia.