The village is mentioned in a diploma from 986 by Adelaide of Italy, which assigned it to the nearby Abbey of San Fruttuoso di Capodimonte. In 1171, together with the neighbouring Santa Margherita Ligure, it was included in Rapallo's commune jurisdiction. After 1229 it was part of the Republic of Genoa. The town's natural harbour supported a fleet of fishing boats, but was somewhat too cramped to provide more than a temporary safe haven for the growing merchant marine of the Republic of Genoa.
In the late 19th century, first British, then other Northern European aristocratic tourists began to visit Portofino, which they reached by horse and cart from Santa Margherita Ligure. Aubrey Herbert and Elizabeth von Arnim were among the more famous English people to make the area fashionable.<ref>De Vere White, Terrence. Introduction to The Enchanted April, Virago: 1991. Template:ISBN.</ref> Eventually, more expatriates built expensive holiday houses, and by 1950, tourism had replaced fishing as the town's chief industry, and the waterfront was a continuous ring of restaurants and cafés.
Main sights
Statue of Christ of the Abyss, placed underwater on 29 August 1954 in the inlet at a depth of Template:Convert. This statue was placed to protect fishermen and scuba divers and in memory of Dario Gonzatti, the first Italian to use SCUBA gear, who died in 1947. Sculpted by Guido Galletti, it represents Christ in the act of blessing while looking towards the sky with open arms in a sign of peace.
Portofino is often thought to be the inspiration for Sir Clough Williams-Ellis' Italianate village named Portmeirion, built between 1925 and 1975, in north Wales. However, this was repeatedly denied by the architect. He stated only that he wanted to pay tribute to the atmosphere of the Mediterranean. He did, however, draw on a love of the Italian village, stating "How should I not have fallen for Portofino? Indeed its image remained with me as an almost perfect example of the man-made adornment and use of an exquisite site."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
In 1959, Dalida released the song "Love in Portofino", written by Leo Chiosso and composed by Fred Buscaglione. With lyrics in French and Italian language, it became a hit and was later iconised alongside the village's name. It also spawned several international covers, including Andrea Bocelli's in 2013 which was followed by a concert recorded and issued on DVD.
Portofino is the eponym of Frank Schaeffer's Portofino: A Novel (1992). It was the first of Schaeffer's Calvin Becker Trilogy.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
There is a full-scale replica, in authentic detail, of Portofino Bay at Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, United States, which opened in September 1999.
Portofino inspired in 2001 a recreation of the seaside town in the Mediterranean Harbor area at Tokyo DisneySea in Chiba, Japan. It also served as the namesake for the restaurant Cafe Portofino.
In the 2021 Disney-Pixar animated film Luca, the fictional town of Portorosso is based on Portofino, as well as other villages in the Italian Riviera.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The 2022 six-episode period drama television series Hotel Portofino, set in the 1920s, was created by Matt Baker in 2020, filmed principally on location in Portofino in 2021, and is being shown on Britbox, PBS, and other television networks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The show was renewed for a second season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
