L’alta hôtellerie nella Riviera di Ponente durante la Belle Époque: capitali e imprenditori

Studies devoted to the history of the Ligurian hotel sector have focused on architectural and urban planning aspects, almost entirely forgetting economic implications. This paper aims to trace the main phases of the evolution of the luxury hotel industry in the Western Riviera from the second half of the nineteenth century to the eve of the First World War, paying particular attention to the origin of the capital––local, national or foreign––invested in the construction of the many large hotels and to the entrepreneurs who took over their management. The influence of the Côte d’Azur's development model on the construction of the Italian Riviera’s tourist supply will also be highlighted.