La Spezia
The port town of La Spezia is located in the eastern side of the region Liguria, almost bordering Tuscany and in the middle of the Gulf of Poets, a broad natural gulf marked by two amazing seaside towns at its ends: Lerici and Portovenere.
From Portovenere, the rugged coastline stretches towards Genoa crossing world-renowned Cinque Terre, five amazing villages within the municipality of La Spezia, that have kept intact their peculiar medieval character over time.
The town of La Spezia lies along the coast and is surrounded by hillsides forming a landscape of lush vegetation, forests and Mediterranean scrub.
Thanks to these enviable characteristics, La Spezia is blessed with an exceptional micro-climate, with mild winters and beautifully coloured spring, while summer is the ideal season to fully enjoy its crystal blue waters and beaches.
The historical centre of La Spezia consists of a pedestrian area lined by numerous shops, bars, restaurants and museums. Streets are wide and paved in cobblestone, guarded by beautiful historical buildings.
Via Prione and Corso Cavour are the main avenues of the historical centre, both pedestrian ways and leading to the Gardens and, past them, the Morin Walk, a popular seafront area and departure point for the ferries to Cinque Terre, Portovenere and Lerici.
The Walk is also the ideal spot to watch the Palio del Golfo, a boat race held on the first Sunday of August in which all town boroughs compete.
La Spezia Gardens start from Via Chiodo and extend to the Morin Walk. They include an amazing variety of trees and plants as well as the “Palco della Musica” (Music Stage), a majestic monument dedicated to Giuseppe Garibaldi, a marble statue of Ceccardo Roccatagliata Ceccardi and the Salvador Allende Centre, a multi-purpose building for conferences, exhibitions and other cultural events.
Walking along Via Prione and Corso Cavour, you can cross numerous charming squares (Piazza Sant’Agostino, Piazza Garibaldi, etc…) surrounded by historical buildings.
La Spezia boasts several museums that can be visited on a walking tour from the old town’s centre:
- The Museum Amedeo Lia
- The CAMeC
- The House of Arts and the Seal Museum
- Diocesan Museum and Ethnographic Museum
- The Naval Museum
The Museum Amedeo Lia: showing artworks donated by Amedeo Lia, an illustrious La Spezia native. The museum is located in a former convent in the historical centre of town and dates back to the 17th century.
You can admire a vast collection of paintings, sacred objects, archaeological findings, bronze and marble sculptures, miniatures, etc...
The CAMeC: the Modern and Contemporary Art Centre is located in a modern building in the town historical centre. The Museum is dedicated to exhibition of contemporary artists, including new young artists. The museum hosts also the Cozzani family permanent collection, comprising over 1.500 works of art, including drawings, paintings, sculptures, etc.
The House of Arts and the Seal Museum: located right next to the Museum Amedeo Lia, it includes a wonderful collection of historical seals, donated to the town by the La Spezia’s native “Cappellini” family.
The Diocesan Museum and Ethnographic Museum: located in a former oratory in the historical centre of town. Visiting the Diocesan museum is also a wonderful opportunity to admire the architecture of the convent that houses it. Collections are distributed throughout the museum, starting from the ground floor, where the permanent art and history collections are displayed, with artworks dating from the 14th to the 16th century.
The same building accommodates also the Ethnographic Museum Giovanni Podenzana, a prominent naturalist, traveller and ethnographer from La Spezia.
The museum boasts quite a rich collection, including fabrics and costumes from the nineteenth century, hats, gold filigree jewels, votive images, etc., offering significant examples of Non-European anthropology and an ideal introduction to local cultural traditions from the eighteenth to the twentieth century.
The Naval Museum: located at the entrance of the Military Arsenal, it boasts a hundred-year plus history.
Several naval models, books, a medal collection and other military items are on display.
St. George Castle
Its origin dates back to the Middle Age, located on the “colle del poggio”, right above the historical centre of town, in a defensive position, overlooking the whole La Spezia.
Some historical records identify the beginning of its construction in the second half of the fourteenth century. The castle then underwent a radical reconstruction and transformation in 1443, to update its facilities, given the advent of firearms.
1985 is when the restoration of the castle began, after which it was destined to a permanent museum.
The castle includes the anthologies of the Formentini Museum.
During the month of December, the castle hosts “Meseoland , the Children’s Museum“, an event including several exhibitions, shows, initiatives and workshops to introduce children to the art world.
In March, the Castle Museum is the venue of some interesting courses in Egyptology (usually run by emeritus Professor Giacomo Cavillier, President of the Egyptian Academy of Genoa).
Cathedral of Christ the King
At the end of the 1920’s, the “Colle dei Cappuccini”, dividing the town in two parts, centre and suburbs, was levelled. This allowed for the creation of a new sea promenade and for the town centre to become one with its suburbs. The new municipal Cathedral was built on this hill in 1975, featuring a modern circular layout and design, and it can accommodate up to 2500 people.
The Post Office Building
Built on the same ground once occupied by the Politeama Theatre, the central Piazza Verdi, next to Government House, it is a building of great artistic value dating back to the early 1930’s.
The building facade features characteristic exposed bricks and the travertine marble used for its construction.
Equally remarkable is the clock tower.
Next to this building, towards the area of Torretto, you can admire a fine staircase leading to Via xx Settembre, stretching above it. This staircase is included in the route “Historical staircases of La Spezia”.
St. Mary’s Church
Dating back to the thirteenth century, the ancient cathedral of La Spezia is located in one of the historical squares of the town centre: Piazza Beverini.
This church was first mentioned as early as 1371, as it was the venue chosen to sign the agreement between the mayors of the two municipalities that would merge into the town of La Spezia.
The church features a three-nave plan, each nave ending up in various chapels.
Worth a look is a Ligurian school majestic crucifix, dating back to the fifteenth century.
Likewise, a visit is recommended to the tombs of Marquise Francesca Malaspina da Mulazzo and her husband Baldassarre Biassa, located in the left nave of the church.