Hello dear readers. We continue to talk about the Ligurian coast of Italy, where there are many beaches for a relaxing holiday, unique natural parks for active recreation, ancient beautiful towns with modern entertainment for excursions. Have you ever heard of Poets Bay? And what about the largest city of this bay with the delicious name La Spezia? If not, we are in a hurry to fix it.

La Spezia is located in the east of Liguria, next to Tuscany, on the shores of a gulf with the interesting name “Gulf of Spezia” (Golfo della Spezia) or “Gulf of Poets” (Golfo dei Poeti).

The second name appeared due to the fact that this place was chosen by poets, artists and writers. Byron, J. Sand and other celebrities stayed here.

From La Spezia you can go to Pisa and, very close (almost the beginning) is the most interesting natural national park.

The weather here, as in other resorts on the Ligurian coast, is Mediterranean. Summers are not very hot, winters are mild. Mountains protect from cold winds from the coast. There are winter resorts in the mountains.

Story

The name of the city was first mentioned on the pages of documents in 1256.

And the first settlements arose here in the Bronze and Iron Ages.

During the Middle Ages, La Spezia was an important trading center.

From the second half of the 18th century, it began to develop as a tourist center.

What to see

Now it is an important tourist center. The city is famous due to its numerous attractions.

• One of them is the Fortress of St. George (Castello di San Giorgio). This is where you should start your walk around the city, enjoying the magnificent view from the fortress of the bay and the city.

The fortress was erected in 1262 as a shelter for the townspeople. Some of the towers were completed later. Now there is an archaeological museum here, and next to it is a park.

• Another museum in the city is the Maritime Museum (Museo Tecnico Navale) or the Museum of the Navy - the largest maritime museum in Italy. Here you will see more than 150 models of Italian ships, various awards, and relics.
• In the Ethnographic Museum (Museo Civico Etnografico) you will learn about the life of the people who lived on this land in the 18th-20th centuries.
• Fans of modern art should definitely check out the Museum of Contemporary Art, Centro Arte Moderna e Contemporanea della Spezia (CAMEC).

It occupies three whole floors. Most of the works relate to expressionism, surrealism and abstractionism.

• Another museum, the Lerici Castle Museum, is located in a fort on a rocky promontory.

Here you can visit the chapel and the paleontological museum.

Lerici Castle Museum

• And under the roof of the museum of the castle of San Giorgio there is an archaeological museum with a collection of ancient relics.
• Be sure to check out Villa Marmori.

This Marmori residence was built by 1923. It clearly represents the Ligurian style of architecture. Note the numerous frescoes, stained glass windows and stucco work.

Villa Marmori

From religious buildings:

• Particularly notable is the Cristo Re Cathedral, a temple located on a hill.
• It replaced the Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta), the city's first cathedral.

Pay attention to the interior of the temple, decorated with majestic columns and marble sculptures.

The remains of the bay’s patron saint are also kept inside.

• The predecessor of this cathedral, the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, is famous for its relief images at the main entrance, as well as for its three chapels.
• Another sacred building of the city is the Sanctuary of Madonna del Olmo (Santuario della Madonna dell"Olmo).

It is located on Mount Santa Croce. The sanctuary was created for pilgrims.

Inconspicuous in appearance, it contains many treasures, such as a Baroque church altar.

• Among secular buildings, a special place is occupied by Palazzo Crozza, the residence of the Crozza family, built in the 19th century.

This is an elegant palace that now houses the city archives, as well as the reading room of the Mazzini Library. Moreover, there is a collection of paintings here.

• Another place you should definitely check out is the fish market in Piazza Cavour. He receives customers every day. In addition to fish, they sell vegetables, cheeses, herbs, spices, and flowers.

There are numerous restaurants, bakeries and pubs around the square. There is a place to take a break from the walk and have a snack.

Palaces

Piazza Verdi is home to many of the city's famous palaces:

• Palazzo delle Poste - an example of neo-fascist style
• Palazzo degli Studi, home to the Classical Lyceum
• Palace of the Prefecture
• Palazzo della Provincia

Holidays and cuisine

• One of the brightest events in La Spezia is the Palio del Golfo festival.

This is a boat competition taking place in the Bay of Poets.

• Another local event is the San Giuseppe Fair (Fiera di San Giuseppe).

Held for three whole days, starting on March 19th annually. It is dedicated to the feast of St. Joseph.

Here you can buy and taste many local delicacies or just start your acquaintance with the cuisine of the region.

Fiera di San Giuseppe

What to try

• First of all, olive oil and dishes with black pepper are the two pillars on which La Spezia cuisine rests.
• Among the dishes, meshua, a soup made from wheat, beans and chickpeas, is especially popular.
• Also very popular are fried flatbreads filled with cheese and ham called sgabei. They can also be in a sweet version.
• Do you want something unusual? Then try stuffed pumpkin flowers.
• Among the more traditional dishes, you will definitely appreciate the local ravioli and vegetable casseroles.
• Don't forget to check out the local wines! Especially the white Colli di Luni DOC and Cinque Terre DOC.

Where to go and what to see

• If you come to La Spezia, be sure to check out the Cinque Terre park, consisting of five lands.
• Another leisure option outside the region is the city of Sarzana (Sardzana).

There is a magnificent castle and a market with an abundance of cheeses.

• In addition, it is worth visiting the Montemarcello Magra Park and admiring Cape Caprione.
• You can also go to the nearest beaches, which are located in Portovenere and Lerici. Or just stroll along the promenade in La Spezia itself.

La Spezia on the map

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Story

The real history of the city began in 1797, when the well-known Napoleon Bonaparte entered Liguria and captured La Spezia. In those days it was not so difficult to do this; La Spezia was a quiet village where no less than three thousand inhabitants lived. Having paid tribute to the talents of his army, the emperor could not help but admire the city’s harbor, calling it the most beautiful in the world. In addition, Napoleon also appreciated its location, which from a military point of view was practically a win-win.

Since then, a military port was built in La Spezia, and from the mid-19th century the city itself began to be intensively rebuilt. In addition to the classic Italian attractions of chapels and mansions, La Spezia is home to several museums, including a worthy Museum of Fine Arts that has recently updated its collection.

Kitchen

If you find yourself in La Spezia for even half an hour (not to mention those who spend a couple of days here), you will certainly find some shabby pizzeria in the ancient alleys of the city. It is there that you can try Forinata pizza, a famous local delicacy made from pea flour. The recipe is surprisingly simple: the batter is poured into a huge frying pan and fried at high temperature. 10-15 minutes and the pancake pizza is ready. It is usually eaten sprinkled with black pepper. The cost of a serving is 2-2.5 EUR.

La Spezia

Guides in La Spezia

Popular hotels in La Spezia

Entertainment and attractions in La Spezia

The powerful walls of the 12th century St. George fortress are the main attraction of the city. It was built by the influential Fieschi clan and later rebuilt several times by the Genoese in the 14th and 16th centuries. At the foot of the fortress is the charming church of Santa Maria Assunta, which for centuries was considered the city's cathedral, but in 1975 lost this honor to the Temple of Cristo Re. As a consolation, she received a gorgeous terracotta sculpture by Andrea della Robbia (1435-1525) “The Coronation of the Virgin Mary.” The new Duomo in La Spezia is a project of the architect Adalberto Libera (1903-1963).

In addition, it is worth taking a walk through the Umberto I quarter, which is north of the city museum, which is considered an ideal (architecturally, of course) working-class quarter in the style of rationalism. The city's numerous museums are also noteworthy, for example, the Marine Engineering Museum. Here are models of ancient Greek and Roman ships, Columbus's caravels, sailing ships from the Bourbon era and a collection of figures that once adorned ships.

In the city museum of La Spezia you can see steles found in Lunigiana - male and female figures from the Bronze and Iron Ages. Also on display is an excellent collection of mosaic floors, busts (many of which date from the early Middle Ages), photographs and documents from the life of the city.

• Where to stay: in the most prestigious and expensive resorts of Liguria - in Alassio and San Remo, in the democratic Diano Marina, on the pebble beach of Arenzano, on an “island” of peace and tranquility in Camogli or in picturesque Portofino. Rapallo, the city of ancient cathedrals, and Portovenere, the pearl of the Ligurian coast, included in the UNESCO list, await its guests. Arma di Taggia will appeal to family tourists for its gently sloping beach and calm waters; lovers of evening entertainment should pay attention to

Where the city landscape gives off a bit of medieval gloom and dampness, and here is La Spezia. A small town on the coast of the Ligurian Sea with a telling name.

How to get to La Spezia

The most popular and, in my opinion, convenient transport in Italy is railways. We traveled from Florence by train with a transfer. It will be a little cheaper by bus.

History of La Spezia

The city is often called La Spezia in the French manner, which is not surprising, since Napoleon Bonaparte, who captured Liguria in 1797, gave life to this place as a city. Before this, this place was essentially a village. The emperor was struck by the beauty of these places and the bay, which he called one of the most beautiful in the world. From a military point of view, the bay was also an ideal place. The rapid development of the city began already in the 19th century, when shipyards and factories were built.

Attractions La Spezia

The city is indeed bright, colorful like a set of spices: from saffron to Pravana herbs, literally buried in the greenery of palm trees and orange trees. La Spezia is very different from the Tuscan cities.

Maybe because, although the city is located right on the border with Tuscany, it belongs to another region - Liguria and is traditionally considered the eastern tip of the Riviera. The city makes no secret of its affiliation with the famous resort of millionaires. Rich villas and houses, parks, a beautiful embankment and yachts - all this clearly indicates the status of an aristocratic city. And at the same time, all this does not create a feeling of excess and pathos. The villas are luxurious, but in moderation, the yachts are beautiful, but not bulky, the people are rich, but not arrogant. There are no five-meter fences, barbed wire or gloomy security here. In general, in its appearance the city reminded me of Barcelona, ​​but in a smaller form. There just aren't enough of Gaudi's creations. The city certainly looks different in summer. Crowds of vacationers will probably occupy the embankment and adjacent parks. But in November the city is empty, peace, silence and serenity reign. Perhaps it is at this point that we should admit... In general, we had no plans to study La Spezia at all and were heading to the Cinque Terre. This is a nature reserve that includes 4 villages.

Based on reviews from experienced tourists and photographs, I concluded that this is indeed a very interesting and picturesque place. You can get to the reserve by train. At the La Spezia station there are several small tourist offices where they will be happy to tell you and show you how to get to the Cinque Terre. You can use online excursion booking services and book everything in advance by agreeing with a Russian-speaking guide.

We, however, did not get there. The reason is completely banal - we went for a walk, relaxed on the embankment and there was no point in going to the reserve, given the short autumn days.

Therefore, we will leave a visit to Cinque Terre for our next trip to Italy, which, I hope, will definitely take place. For La Spezia itself, there is probably no point in hiring a guide. This city is interesting, rather, simply as a pleasant resort for walking.
Among the attractions of the city of La Spezia, all guidebooks, first of all, note the Castle of San Giorgio, which was rebuilt several times before the beginning of the 17th century.

Ship family

However, I liked La Spezia not because of the ancient monument, I was attracted by its naturalness, the lack of places that attract tourists all year round, which is the “sin” of Florence and Pisa, for example. It seems that here you can see what real Italy is and how people live in this country.

Orange grove on the main street of the city

The city's landscape, however, does not look completely glamorous, as it might seem at first glance. Villas and well-kept houses here contrast with the fishing boats and their owners, which, however, only add color to the city.

Once he threw a net into the sea, - The net came with nothing but mud.

What to try in La Spezia

A city with such a telling name should definitely have something unusual and original in its arsenal, especially in its cuisine. It’s worth remembering that the city was founded by a Frenchman, and the cuisine of this nation is no less important than for the Italians.

I call the cuisine here by region - Ligurian. And she really absorbed both traditional Italian cooking principles and French motifs. But the most important thing about it is the products used. It is generally traditional for Italian traditional cuisine that in each region a particular dish depends on the products available in that region and their seasonality. That is, we cook from what grows, floats, flies or runs around my house. So it is with Ligurian cuisine, which has very little fat, and can even be called vegetarian. To prepare dishes, they use a lot of legumes, dried and salted cod, chestnuts, mushrooms, and truffles. One of the most traditional Ligurian dishes is farinata (Farinata di ceci).

This is a flatbread cooked in a wood-fired oven. The dough is based on pea flour. Despite the simplicity of the ingredients, this is a very tasty dish. Soup (Panissa) is also prepared from pea flour. It is also worth trying Ligurian minestrone (minestrone ligure) - a soup made from various types of vegetables, mushrooms, beans and Parmesan cheese with the addition of olive oil.

Our ship enters the wide Gulf of La Spezia. The foothills surrounding the bay are densely populated. The port is filled with ships of all types. On the left is a group of warships, on the right are numerous yachts and boats. However, this company also includes a reputable cruise liner.

La Spezia is Italy's main naval base and major commercial port. The city is also home to numerous industrial production facilities, mainly of defense significance.

It’s hard to believe, but until the end of the 18th century there was only a small settlement around the castle on this site, and only Napoleon, who conquered Liguria in 1797 and annexed it to France, was able to appreciate the unusually strategic location of this place and the advantages of the vast bay. It would be difficult to find a better place for the port. This is how, at the instigation of Napoleon, a large military port, shipyards, military production facilities subsequently arose here, and a city grew on the shores of the bay. But this happened after the unification of Italy, in 1861. Count Cavour, the first minister of war of the new republic, implemented Napoleon's ideas.

During the Second World War, the port and the city were heavily bombed, so little of the ancient center survived.

The main attractions of La Spezia are the Naval Arsenal with the Navy Museum and the Castle of San Giorgio with the archaeological museum located there, the Amedeo Lia Art Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, as well as several churches that survived or were restored after the war.

Castle San Giorgio was built in the 12th century by the Fieschi family, which competed with the Doria clan (one of the family members was immortalized by Schiller in the play “The Fiesco Conspiracy in Genoa” for attempting to assassinate Andrea Doria).

Castle of San Giorgio

The castle is named after St. George, like many castles in Liguria, but the main patron saint of La Spezia is the hermit St. Venerius, who lived for many years on the island of Tino at the end of the 6th century. Later, a monastery was built on the site of his grave. Now you can get to the island of Tino with a tour of three islands: Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto. In 1997, this archipelago, along with Portovenere and Cinque Terre, was included in the UNESCO list.

Having gone ashore, we found ourselves on a wide embankment with a palm alley, from which we headed deeper into the city.

Palm alley along the embankment

City Park

La Spezia turned out to be a spacious, open city, filled to the brim with life: children playing, people walking around - not tourists, but, for the most part, local residents. A city that lives in the present, not in the great past. By the way, the particle “la” was sometimes stuck to the name of the city, and then fell away, until it was decided to call the city “La Spezia”.

On the streets and squares of La Spezia

The hilly terrain determined the multi-tiered nature of the city. So, from one square to another you can take an elevator. And to the castle of San Giorgio there is a long, multi-flight staircase along the slope of the Il Poggio hill.

Fortress wall

Staircase to the Castle of San Giorgio

View of the city from the Castle of San Giorgio

At the foot of the castle is the Church of the Sacred Heart, and the old fortress wall adjoins the castle itself.

Church of the Sacred Heart

If you take the elevator down from the castle, you will soon find yourself on Via Canonica, where the tall, striped gray and white façade of Santa Maria Assunta stands out. The facade looks brand new - it was indeed restored after the war. And the church itself is from the 14th century. Now it houses numerous works of art.

Church of Santa Maria Assunta

Strange building

Closer to the station is the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which, on the contrary, miraculously remained undamaged after the bombing that destroyed neighboring buildings. The church was built at the end of the 19th century in an eclectic style with elements of Byzantine architecture. In any case, when we entered the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I was unconsciously reminded of the Church of St. Appolinarius in Ravenna.

Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary

La Spezia- a port city in the eastern part of. In addition to its tourist focus, La Spezia is the center of the Italian military industry and one of the largest commercial and military harbors in Italy. From here there are direct ferries to and from the coast.

Getting to La Spezia:

By train:

La Spezia Central Station - La Spezia Centrale. Trains arrive to La Spezia from Rome, Naples, Pisa, Florence, Parma, Milan, Genoa, Savona, Turin... Italian trains website

By bus:

• Buses in the La Spezia region: www.atcesercizio.it.

Attractions in La Spezia:

La Spezia Castle

In La Spezia the castle of St. George - Castle of San Giorgio - 13th century. Until the beginning of the 17th century, the castle was rebuilt several times. The castle now houses an archaeological museum, which, among other things, exhibits finds from the Etruscan era.

Naval Arsenal

The Naval Arsenal of La Spezia was built in the mid-19th century by naval engineer Domenico Chiodo, whose monument is erected in front of the entrance to the arsenal. Now the Arsenal has been converted into a naval museum.

Ancient churches of La Spezia:

Several ancient churches have been preserved in La Spezia: the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (XIII century), the Church of St. John and Augustine (1797), the Church of St. Stephen (XIII century, but from that time only one wall has been preserved), the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1897-1901, made in the neo-Byzantine style).

Chiesa di Santa Maria Della Assunta

The monastic church of Santa Maria della Assunta - the Assumption of the Virgin Mary - dates back to the 13th century. Inside you can admire a significant series of artistic works that were brought here from the abolished churches. Among them are “The Coronation of the Virgin Mary” by Andrea della Robbia, “The Multiplication of the Loaves” by Giovanni Battista Casoni, and “The Martyrdom of St. Bartolomeo" by Luca Cambiaso.

Amadeo Lia Museum

The Aamadeo Lia Museum, housed in a former 17th-century Franciscan monastery, houses a collection of Middle Eastern and Renaissance art.

Museums of La Spezia:

• Ubaldo Formentini-Civic Museum in the Castle of St. George (Museo del Castello di San Giorgio – Museo civico archeologico)
• Palazzina delle Arti and the Seal Museum(palazzina delle Arti e Museo del Sigillo)
• Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art(Centro d'arte moderna e contemporanea, CAMeC)