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Gulf of La Spezia by night - Photo © Massimo Ginesi
The first village you come to, as you travel westwards
from La Spezia, is Le Grazie, which
lies in an enchanting natural inlet quite close to the important
archaeological site of "Villa Romana del Varignano", which is open to
visitors.
 Portovenere - Photo © Massimo Ginesi
One place you really must stop at is Portovenere,
which is recognized by UNESCO as part of world cultural heritage.
Portovenere
The picturesque Genoese-style village of Portovenere (twelfth century) is full of typical coastal charm. You can admire the Genoese castle and the Church of San Lorenzo (consecrated in 1130 and entirely rebuilt in 1931-35).
At the far end of the promontory of Portovenere stands the ancient Church of San Pietro, which was built in 1277 on existing
sixth-century foundations. You can leave Porto Venere by boat to visit
the island of Palmaria, a marine reserve lying in the centre of the "whale
sanctuary". You can then visit Tino and the ruins of the Monastery
of San Venerio.
The festival of San Venerio, a religious hermit
who lived on the island of Tino, in front of Portovenere, is held on 13
September every year. The island itself, a jewel in the Gulf of La Spezia,
is occupied by a naval garrison but can be visited on the occasion of
religious services in remembrance of the saint. You can visit the remains
of the abbey, the small cloister and the reconstructed church. Not far
from Tino is the small island of Tinetto, where you will find the ruins
of a fifth-century church. The island of Palmaria is a splendid nature
reserve.
Portovenere's host of beaches and coastal rocks
make it an ideal place for a holiday with a difference. The network of
paths running across the island are ideal for rambling in the greenery.
All kinds of water sport can be practiced in the Gulf.
There
is no shortage of accommodation in Portovenere and its beaches have many
facilities.
The typical dishes of Portovenere (seafood and an infinite variety of fish) are quite rightly
famous throughout the western part of the Gulf and are served in nearly
all restaurants. The seascape of the Gulf near Portovenere is marked by
rows of wooden poles: these are part of the breedinggrounds for mussels,
which are another fundamental ingredient of La Speziaand Portovenere cuisine.
Portovenere - Photo © Massimo Ginesi
Portovenere history - Roman times
The ancient Portus Veneris is believed
to date back to at least the middle of the 1st century BCE. It has been
said that the name Portovenere refers to a temple to the goddess Venus
which was sited on the promontory where the church of Peter the Apostle
now stands. The name Portovenere has also been linked to that of the hermit
Saint Venerius. In Roman times the city was essentially a fishing community.
Portovenere history - post-Roman times
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Portovenere
became the base of the Byzantine fleet in the northern Tyrrhenian Sea,
but was destroyed by the Lombards in 643 CE. Later, Portovenere was a
frequent target of Saracen raids. First indications of the existence of
a castle date from 1113, and in 1161 the walls were erected. Portovenere
became a fiefdom of a family from Vezzano before passing to Genoa in the
early 12th century. In 1494 Portovenere suffered a devastating bombardment
from the Aragonese fleet during their war with Genoa: subsequently the
old part of the town declined in importance, giving way to the development
of the Borgo Nuovo (or new district) of Portovenere, which had
existed from 1139 and is centred on the church of St. Peter.
islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto
To visit the islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto you must start from the tourist port of Portovenere where there are the vessels that carry the service.
You must know that Tino and Tinetto are under the jurisdiction of the Navy and therefore are not always accessible, whereas the Palmaria can be visited at any time.
The island of Palmaria is carettirizzata by high cliffs in places open suddenly. Very impressive are the Blue Grotto, to visit with a small boat, and the Pigeons Grotto, populated in prehistoric times, which is located on a cliff wall about 30 meters above water level.
The island vegetation is very lush and you can enjoy all its beauty making the circumnavigation of the island along the walking trail of about 6 km.
Moving on the island of Tino find the high walls of white rock cliffs that descend to the sea and the lush vegetation found also developed a large variety of species.
On the island are the ruins of the St. Venerio dating from the eleventh century, a monastic settlement that was often threatened by the incursions of the Saracens. For this the beginning of the fifteenth century the monks abandoned the island to move to Le Grazie.
Island Tinetto shows signs of a religious presence probably female of the same period of the monks of St. Venerio.
Text courtesy in part of APT Cinque Terre
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