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The Surrounding Area |
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La Spezia e il Golfo dei Poeti (Poet's gulf) |
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La Spezia e il Golfo dei Poeti
Portovenere
Lerici
Levanto
Lunigiana, Val di Magra
Val di Vara
Sarzana
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La Spezia lies at the centre of the Golfo dei Poeti , which stretches from the charming village of Portovenere and its islands on the west side, to the castle of Lerici on the east side. This land is situated between the indented bays and the Parodi, the highest among the Gulf's hills.
Extolled by Byron and Shelley, Petrarca and Montale, the gulf is very attractive in the warm summer days spent by the sea or in the narrow streets of its medieval villages.
La Spezia is placed at the centre of this gulf. Its origins date back to the roman city Lunea, a roman town located on the river Magra, but the city developed during the rule of the Genoa, maritime republic, and that of Napoleon I.
Initially La Spezia was a seaside resort where the Italian royal family used to spend their holidays. After the construction of the naval dockyard by Domenico Chiodo in 1869, La Spezia became an important military town. During the '90s it gradually rediscovered its vocation for tourism and trade.
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The city centre is 5 minutes walk from the railway station and is reached by the busses and ferries from Portovenere and Lerici and it has many shops and museum s such as the Lia Museum, a museum of ancient and medieval art, the Museum of Seals with the permanent exhibition of the seals of the Cappellini family, the Diocesan Museum and the Transport Museum.
The San Giorgio castle has been built on the hills of La Spezia in the 13 th century and it now contains the Town 's Archaeological Museum "Ubaldo Formentini" with the well-known stele statues from Lunigiana. In the newly renovated Piazza Cesare Battisti you can visit the CAMEC (Centre of Modern and Contemporary Arts) which hosts permanent exhibitions and internationally relevant temporary exhibitions.
A few hundred meters from the CAMEC, in the naval dockyard, there is the Naval Museum.
more infos www.laspezia.net
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Portovenere |
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Portovenere is situated in the west side of La Spezia gulf. The village stands on a indented promontory with high cliffs , completed by three small isles: Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto.
Its name stems from the roman temple dedicated to Venere Ericina, built on the top of the village's promontory and replaced by the Genoese gothic church of San Pietro (13 th century).
The castle, built in the 17 th century, towers above the village. The castle has been used as a jail for political prisoners during the rule of Napoleon Bonaparte and today it offers a breathtaking view over the Cinque Terre. The San Lorenzo church (XII cent.) is situated in the higher part of the village and is certainly worth a visit. It has wonderful frescos and the bell tower, once used to sight the enemies coming from the sea. The colourful houses and the medieval narrow streets are very typical.
The famous path number 1, linking Cinque Terre to Portovenere starts by the city walls.
The three islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto are in front of Portovenere and are part of the "Regional Park of Port o Venere".
Palmaria, which is separated from Portovenere by a thin straits called "Le bocche" (the mouths), can be reached by ferryboats and boats. The Tino island is a military area and is accessible only on the 13 th of September, the day of San Venerio.
more infos : www.portovenere.com
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Lerici |
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Lerici was called "the Pearl" by 19 th century's poets lies in the eastern part of the gulf, a few kilometers from the estuary of river Magra.
During the roman rule it has been an important naval base for travellers and pilgrims going to Rome or to the North through the via francigena route. Lerici has a medieval centre with the typical narrow streets going to the castle, which now hosts the Paleontological Museum.
Through a promenade you will get to the Venere Azzurra beach and to the village of San Terenzo. There you can visit the Castle and Villa Magni, the villa of Percy Bysse and Mary Shelley.
Tellaro is situated a few kilometres from Lerici toward Tuscany. The village is characterised by narrow streets, a church towering over the sea and a small square full of shops and tourism facilities.
The small village of Montemarcello is definitely worth a visit, thanks to its breathtaking view over the Magra Valley, the Apuan Alps, Versilia and the Golfo dei Poeti
more infos : www.comune.lerici.sp.it, www.tellaro.net, www.montemarcello.com
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Levanto |
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Levanto is one of the most densely populated villages of the Eastern coast of Liguria. The village is located at the centre of a wide valley close to the sea and set between Bonassola and Monterosso.
Levanto's origins date back to pre-Roman times, but the medieval district, still visible from the historical town centre, was built between the 12 th and 13 th centuries and originally was the local merchant port.
Levanto is perfect for tourists thanks to its wide sandy beach (one of the longest beaches of the Eastern coast) along the bay, thanks to the ancient alleys near the sea and its castle, surrounded by the wonderful 20 th century villas.
On the hills surrounding Levanto there are roman and medieval villages and there is plenty of vineyards and olive tree groves which made this area renowned for its excellent wines and olive oil.
Recently Levanto, thanks to the waves formed by the northwest and southwest wind, has become the destination of surfers coming from northern Italy.
more infos : www.comune.levanto.sp.it |
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Lunigiana, Val di Magra |
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Nature, history and pure air are the main characteristics of Lunigiana. The name derives from Luni, an ancient roman colony, but the presence of Stele Statues suggests that this region was inhabited since the Stone Age.
Lunigiana is the name given to the whole Val di Magra, Val di Vara, the gulf of La Spezia, Cinque Terre and the Apuan Riviera. In the region there are many castles and medieval villages. In the summertime there are medieval festivals which take you back to the life of that time.
Pilgrims going from Rome to the North of Europe used to walk the so called Via Francigena and this is witnessed by the presence of many Romanesque churches, abbeys and oratories along all the paths crossing Lunigiana, from the white tops of the Apuan Alps to the blue sea.
Vegetable pie (in a wide variety), testaroli (with pesto sauce or mushrooms sauce) and panigacci (filled with local cheese and local sliced cold meats) are among the many specialties of Lunigiana
more infos : www.terredilunigiana.com |
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Sarzana |
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Sarzana stands between the Apuan Alps and the sea, in the heart of Lunigiana. Sarzana is the lineal descendant of Luni, the ancient Roman town it replaced in the 13 th century thanks to its growing religious importance. Since its foundation in the first millennium, thanks to its position, Sarzana has been a crossroads among Liguria, Toscana and Emilia-Romagna.
Since antiquity Sarzana has been a strategic point and an important centre for agriculture and trade. Moreover, since the Middle Ages it has become an important religious and juridical centre thanks to the presence of a tribunal and of the bishop's see. In the course of history Sarzana was ruled by various lords and cities: Castruccio Castracani, Spinetta Malaspina, the Pisans, the Visconti, the Genoese and the Florentines.
The town has two castles: the Firmafede fortress, of Pisan origin and the Sarzanello fortress, an ancient bishop's see. The 16 th century walled town, with its walls and four keeps, is still intact. The historical city centre stands on the ancient Via Francigena. Today cultural tourism is one of Sarzana's main resources. In the summertime there are a few arts festivals (such as Festival della Mente in August and the Napoleon's historical commemoration in September) and music festivals, thanks to which Sarzana is one of the main cultural centres of the region.
Sarzana holds a multitude of art jewels, which anyone can easily visit: from architecture to sculpture, to the paintings inside Sarzana's buildings and churches.
Beyond cultural tourism, there is the seaside town of Marinella, with its lidos. There is a 3-kilometres-long sandy shoreline with public and private beaches. Sarzana's coast is well-renowned because it is easily accessible and close to towns and cities.
more infos: www.sarzana.com
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Val di Vara |
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Val di Vara is located in the Ligurian hinterland, near to the Cinque Terre and it is Liguria's wider valley. Val di Vara is named after the river which rises on the Zatta mountain, flows through the valley and after 58 kilometres empties into the Magra river.
The valley is surrounded by medium and high mountains, among which Monte Gottero is the highest (1640 metres).
Val di Vara is similar to the top part of Val di Magra. There are small towns on woody tops, medieval towns surrounded by uncontaminated woods, castles, churches, sanctuaries and mills.
In many of those towns, streets and houses gather around the city centre, in a typical medieval round structure.
Pignone, Suvero, Torza and Zignago are the most ancient towns of the valley.
more infos : www.terredilunigiana.com |
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