Portovenere

The Gulf of La Spezia, known as “Golfo dei Poeti” (The Gulf of Poets), is a broad and deep natural bay with the town of La Spezia at its centre and two charming villages of Portovenere (West) and Lerici (East) at its ends.
Portovenere’s origin dates back to the second century AD, when this fishing village is already mentioned in a number of works, described as a Roman naval station and harbour on the route of the trireme ships heading to Spain and Gaul.
It is said that Portovenere took its name from a temple dedicated to goddess Venus Ericina and built in Roman times on a promontory overlooking the sea in the outskirts of town.
The typical medieval village of Portovenere has remained unchanged over the centuries, offering visitors a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the same atmosphere and glimpses: the old tower-shaped houses, the Church of St. Peter, the Castle, the watchtowers, the ancient town gate, etc., almost a time warp-like experience.

The first image that comes to mind when you mention Portovenere is its colourful, tall and narrow tower-houses leaning against each other (they are called “the palisade”) as to create a man-made barrier against the threats from the sea.

One of the main features of Portovenere, these tower-houses date back to the twelfth and thirteenth century and were built for defence purposes.
The houses still maintain their peculiar tall and narrow structure as well as their old functional use: the upper part is where the family lives while the ground area is dedicated to working activities.
Equally fascinating is Portovenere’s central alley: Via Cappellini. You can access this narrow “caruggio” (alley) through the wall gate, dating back to 1160 and flanked by the capitol tower.

The “caruggio” is a narrow, cobblestone-paved street winding up among tall houses, which still feature the friezes of ancient buildings, another clear example of the stunning history of this village.
Walking up the “caruggio”, you can see some stairs on the left leading to the water promenade. These are the steep Calata Doria stairs, once used to descend from the “caruggio” and the tower-houses down to the rocks by the sea.
If you keep going up the alley, through the “corridor” formed by the tower-houses, you will find yourself in a small square dominated by the Church of St. Peter. The church can be reached via the large stairs on the right, a construction in Gothic style built in the second half of the year 1200.
The Church of St. Peter was built in the outermost end of Portovenere, a cliff above the open sea resembling the prow of a ship protruding towards the horizon.

The church was cleverly built on the remains of a previous early Christian church, which are still visible.
You can access the terrace above the church and enjoy breathtaking views.
At halfway on the stairs leading to the Church of St. Peter, on the right, an opening into the rock leads to Byron Cave, named after Lord Byron, who anchored his boat in Portovenere in 1822, seeking inspiration for his work. Here, you can walk down some stairs and descend to the seafront, where you can unwind or sunbath on a number of large flat black rocks. Byron Cave looks like a portion of sea enclosed by a picturesque cliff, above which lie the Church of St. Peter on one side and the ancient fortified walls on the other one.
From the stairs leading up to the Church of St. Peter, near the entrance of Byron Cave, you can continue walking up to the other church of Portovenere: the Church of St. Lawrence. It is a construction dating back to around 1100, built in Romanesque style and located on a rocky hilltop.
Its interior features three naves with rounded arches supported by a series of pillars in black stone.
Worth admiring is the image of the Immaculate Virgin dating back to the fourteenth century, much revered by locals and patron of a festival held on August 17 each year. According to the legend, the image of the Immaculate Virgin arrived in Portovenere around the year 1200 inside a hollow tree which was then sealed to contain a number of treasures, including relics of various saints.
In 1339, following a terrible plague attack that killed many residents of Portovenere, several of them gathered to pray in front of the town icons, and on one of them (a pen drawing on a faded parchment from the twelfth century) the colours started to gradually come back along with the representation of the Child and two saints. It was deemed a miracle that saved this small fishing village, testified by several people and documented in a notary deed still kept in the Church of St. Lawrence along with the valuable parchment.
At the foot of the houses, towards the seafront, there is the walking promenade, the Doria Walk, the heart of village, lined by small shops, restaurants and bars where you can admire the traffic of a multitude of boats approaching the tiny harbour.
The Castle of Portovenere is nice and well-restored, overlooking the village and dating back to around 1100, consisting of steep embankment walls and mighty vaults built in local stone.

Recommended day trips:

The Palmaria Island is in front of Portovenere, a few hundred metres from the shore. The island, in the nearest point, is separated from Portovenere by a narrow stretch of water called “the mouths” and can be reached by small motor boats departing from the Doria Walk. Palmaria Island offers visitors the opportunity to take a stroll surrounded by enchanting nature amidst dramatic cliffs over the sea.

The islets of Tino and Tinetto: the Isle of Tino hosts some remains dating back to the eleventh century and a church dedicated to the cult of St. Venerio. It is a restricted military area and can be visited only during the festival celebrating its patron, on 13 September. The bare islet of Tinetto shows evidence of the presence of early religious communities. You can see a few ruins of what used to be an oratory built in the sixteenth century. There is also another building, probably a 2-nave church that, according to the records, included a number of cells for monks.

Following are the main festivals and celebrations in Portovenere:

On 13 September, the village celebrates the patron St. Venerio. The islet of Tino, normally closed to visitors, can be accessed during this time and you can picnic in the grove near the church. The boat procession carrying the remains of the saint to the islet of Tino is of great scenic impact.

On 17 August, celebrations for the Immaculate Virgin are held, a religious icon highly worshipped by locals. The small fishing village, the Byron cave and the cliffs underneath the Church of St. Peter are bathed in the light of hundreds of oil lamps strategically placed in different spots, conveying a magical atmosphere.
Equally fascinating is the religious procession through the alleys of the village, all decorated with garlands and festive lights.