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Golfo dei Poeti – The Gulf of
Poets
The Gulf of La Spezia is encircled by
Portovenere and Lerici, old villages brimming
with history and charm, and which today are
delightful tourist destinations that have lost
none of their original |
charisma. Along the coast of this inlet you will
find other equally charming towns like the Bay
of the Grazie and, on the opposite side, San
Terenzo and Tellaro.
Portovenere is one of Italy's most famous
seaside resorts. The Romans were already
familiar with this village named after its
temple dedicated to Venus, the Goddess of
Beauty. There are no crossroads in the village,
only some porticos called “capitoli” that
connect the main road either to the port or the
beach with steep stairways. At the far western
point of the town there is the Church of St.
Peter, a typically Ligurian, Romanesque-Gothic
construction built over the remains of the
ancient temple of Venus. From this point you can
enjoy a splendid panorama; from the Romanesque
loggia you can see the coast that stretches
towards the Cinque Terre, while the entry
overlooks the gulf and the island across the
bay.
Lerici
This village was a landing for Greek and
Phoenician traders even if its closest ties were,
without a doubt, with the Etruscan population,
especially due to its vicinity to Luni. Due to
its importance as a port, the Romans fought the
Ligurians over Lerici, conquering it for
commercial and military purposes. Now completely
restored, the Castle of Lerici houses the
geo-paleontological museum, which is unique in
Europe for its scientific and technological
features. |
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