The
Italian Riviera, or
Ligurian Riviera is the narrow coastal strip which lies between the
Ligurian Sea and the mountain chain formed by the
Maritime Alps and the
Apennines. Longitudinally it extends from the border with
France and the
French Riviera (or
Côte d'Azur) near
Ventimiglia (a former
customs post) to Capo Corvo (also known as Punta Bianca) which marks the eastern end of the Gulf of
La Spezia and is close to the border with
Tuscany. The Italian Riviera thus includes nearly all of the coastline of
Liguria. (Historically it extended further to the west, through what is now French territory as far as
Monaco.)