Porto Venere and Cinque Terre, UNESCO World Heritage Site

Porto Venere, also called Portivène in local language, is a beautiful medieval village that stands on the eastern side of the Ligurian Riviera. The municipality is located in the province of La Spezia and the promontory on which it stands is the western shore of the Gulf of La Spezia. Its territory consists of a peninsula, beyond which appear three small islands: Tino, Tinetto and Palmaria. The ancient Latin denomination of the village, Veneris Portus, refers to the Roman temple dedicated to Venus, not surprisingly goddess of beauty. The place has been historically always very disputed and at the center of many epochal events. In pre-Roman Italy the ancient Ligurians were already settled there, while later there were Longobards and Franks. Then the city underwent Norman and Saracen pressures alternated. Portovenere was for a long time linked to Genoese rule, and then passed under the Aragonese, Florentine and Visconti jurisdictions in rapid succession, before being part of the Napoleonic Empire and finally the Kingdom of Sardinia. The signs of the time that Portovenere still holds are not by chance some of its greatest attractions.

The Church of San Pietro is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular scenery of Portovenere. A splendid medieval complex that seems to climb on a rocky spur overlooking the open sea. It is composed of a paleochristian building of the 5th century, the very first nucleus, then connected to a Benedictine abbey of the 9th century. Then there is a beautiful church completed in the 13th century in beautiful Genoese Gothic style. It is perhaps the most famous historical attraction of the place.

The main feature of Portovenere is undoubtedly the uniqueness of its hamlet. It is wonderful to walk through its beautiful alleys. It is accessed through the monumental door protected by the ancient Capitular Tower, a fascinating 11th century building with exposed stone and classic battlements. We pass through the Church of San Lorenzo, a splendid Romanesque building also known as the Sanctuary of Madonna Bianca, the final destination of a traditional procession much felt and practiced by locals. The most famous image of Portovenere is that of incredible colorful architectures that unite earth and sky in a poetic enchantment. Is that why the Gulf of La Spezia is also called the Gulf of Poets?

"Le Cinque Terre" (The Five Lands) is not a random name. This denomination refers to 5 beautiful villages (once called "lands") located along a stretch of very jagged coast in Liguria. They are located on the Levantine side, just north of Portovenere, still in the province of La Spezia. They are put in communication with each other through sea routes, a railway route that starts from Levanto and a network of pedestrian paths, such as the romantic Via dell'Amore (The way of love). It is one of the most fascinating and evocative landscapes of all the Italian coasts. Proceeding from Portovenere to the west we discover the 5 lands in the following order: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare.

Manarola is perhaps the most characteristic image of Five Lands, the first that comes to mind thinking about these places. Here too, colours dominate the landscape. The houses climb each other, with a serie of alleys that tangle by piercing the rock or winding along the sides of the wild promontory. This is where the Way of Love starts. The village develops essentially around the Groppo torrent, with a square that houses the main religious buildings, the most authentic and ancient ones.

Vernazza is basically a tiny village. Despite this, it contains a thousand-year history and is anyway the most immortalized corner by the photos of tourists. The entire town surrounds the marina, always embellished with boats moored, which reflect the bright tones of the buildings. Here there is also the beautiful square, full of bars and refreshments. There is also, as for every village of Five Lands, some winding road that climbs the surrounding headlands and is embellished with characteristic arcades, loggias and monumental doors.

Monterosso is the most populated hamlet of five lands. It consists of two housing units, separated by a promontory, which has a tunnel about 100 meters long. The oldest part, dating back to 1200, is called Porto Vecchio, while the other one is called Fegina, where there is a beautiful beach. Very characteristic are the ancient Torre Aurora and the modern statue of Neptune, also called the Giant, which literally seems to merge with the rocky coast in supporting a terrace that unfortunately no longer exists. Let yourself be carried away by the caruggi, typical Ligurian alleys full of wine bars, inns, flavors and scents.