VENTIMIGLIA

town, Imperia provincia, Liguria regione, northwestern Italy. It is situated at the mouth of the Roia River near the French border, just northeast of Nice, France. To the east of the modern town is the ruined Roman town Albium Intemelium, or Albintimilium, with the remains of a theatre. Ventimiglia's town hall houses a collection of Roman antiquities. Ventimiglia was the seat of a county from the 10th century and later of a commune that fell under Genoese domination. Its medieval quarter contains the cathedral with an 11th-century octagonal baptistery, the Romanesque-style Church of San Michele, and 13th-century towers and fortifications. At Mortola Inferiore are the Hanbury Botanical Gardens; nearby are the Grimaldi Caves. The modern town is a resort and international customs station, with a noted flower market. Pop. (1993 est.) mun., 26,051.