and renewed diplomatic relations. This agreement marked the emergence of Russia and Germany from the diplomatic isolation caused by World War I (1914–18). During World War II numerous partisans from Rapallo were shot by German occupation troops. Rapallo has been known for its climate that made it over the years the winter residence of preference for most of the affluent Italians living in the North West of Italy. Its proximity to the coast makes for mild winters where people can enjoy easy strolls on the sunny promenade and the golfers can enjoy one of the oldest courses in Italy, opened in 1930. Main sights The Castello sul Mare (Castle-on-the-Sea), erected in 1551 to counter the frequent pirate attacks. It includes a small chapel dedicated to St. Cajetan, built in 1688. The Castello di Punta Pagana is a seat of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. It was finished on 28 July 1631. The historical Tower of the Fieschi and the Torre Civica (1473). The Porta delle Saline, the only remaining gate from the ancient walls. Basilica of Sts. Gervasius and Protasius, consecrated in 1118 and restored in the early 17th century. In 1679 a new apse was added, deleting the former Romanesque character of the edifice. It has a leaning bell tower. The church of St. Francis of Assisi (begun in 1519). The Sanctuary of Nostra Signora di Montallegro ("Our Lady of Montallegro", 1558–1640). The ruined Monastery of Valle Christi (13th century), abandoned in 1568 after pirate ravages. Interesting ancient Hannibal's Bridge dating back to 218 BC People The polymath Fortunio Liceti was born in Rapallo in 1577. Cornelia Wicker Armsby, an American golfer and socialite, died at Rapallo in 1969. Max Beerbohm, the caricaturist and essayist, lived in Rapallo from 1910 until his death in 1956, with the exception of the two World Wars. Domingo Ghirardelli, founder of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company was born in Rapallo in 1817 and also died there while visiting in 1894. Sir Edmund Grimani Hornby, former Chief Judge of the British Supreme Consular Court at Constantinople and British Supreme Court for China and Japan died in Rapallo in 1896 and was buried there. The poet Ezra Pound lived in Rapallo between the years 1924 and 1945 and wrote much of his Cantos there. His father, Homer Pound, is buried in the non-Catholic section of Cimitero Urbano on Via Cerisola. Sir Charles Hercules Read, British