Its geographical location between the sea and mountains provides a microclimate, which is the mildest of the region, where the prevailing winds are Levant and Ponente.
It sometimes appears as Zephyrus, the ancient Greek name, probably derived from "zopho" (meaning dark, gloomy, a reference to the sunset rather than the quality of the wind.) Romans also called it Favonius, probably meaning "favorable", as the westerly wind in the Mediterranean was regarded as a mild wind that brought relief from the summer heat and some useful moisture for crops.
His moves aimed to defend the Genoese Republic's integrity against the Guelph Fieschi, who wanted to create a personal seignory in the Levante Ligure, and the Grimaldi, who had usurped part of the Ponente.