A luxury Liberty-style complex on the sea, it was the legendary Kursaal that became Italy’s first casino in 1902. The façades, ornamentation and halls all testify to the elegance of the age. In 1914 it was the set for ‘Battesimo di nave’, one of the first films to be shot outdoors. In 1917 it hosted the Rapallo Convention that led to the creation of the Supreme War Council, which then met at Versailles with the United States. Guests have included Eleonora Duse, the Duke of Windsor with Wallis Simpson, King Farouk, Hussein of Jordan, Constantine of Greece, Rita Hayworth, Hemingway and Marconi. Thornton Wilder worked on "The Matchmaker" here.