La Spezia
I
t is a well known fact that to know a city inside out, a stroll on foot brings the most satisfaction. Our hurried lifestyle nowadays, can always have an improved quality by giving ourselves time to walk around a place, purely to enjoy the visual pleasures.This goes for La Spezia too, it should be discovered wi-thout haste leaving from the jetty where the ferries are moored, called “Molo Italia”. Go through the exo-tic Public Gardens which are the pride of the city for their careful upkeep and fl ourishing fl ora. Then along Viale Diaz to the crossroad with Via Chiodo with its airy shaded arcades. Straight across is Via Prione, a lively pedestrian street in the heart of the old town. The Civico Theatre designed by Franco Oliva comes up on your left symbolising the elegant thirties. A little way on where the street narrows, below the length of wall that dates back to the beginning of the seven-teenth century, what was once one of the entrances to La Spezia can be seen. This was in fact the entrance from the Naval Base to the walled city.
1 Via del Prione
2 Garden along Promenade 3 Fish Market & Food Market
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Here we are in the heart of the town that is now a pe-destrian way, and where traces of La Spezia in medie-val renaissance and baroque times can be glimpsed and not to be missed on your way are the splendid solid Genoese doorways of the Doria Pamphili and Massa buildings. Carved stone decorates the houses all along Via del Prione and the surrounding side stre-ets. A stop to admire the nearby Piazza S. Agostino gives a real feeling of La Spezia nowadays. Looking towards the sea, the buildings continue, these were originally built as rows of towers like soldiers defen-ding the city and gave homes for the nobility in the baroque period. Towards the hillside there are po-stwar buildings that were erected around the 15th century convent of Sant’Agostino.
4 Promenade Morin 5 Viale Mazzini 6 Garden from hilltop
7 Piazza Sant’Agostino 8 Arcade of via Cadorna
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The San Giorgio
Castle
Back in Via del Prione and further along, there is Dio-cesan Museum, in the de-consacrated oratory of San Bernardino. In past times, travellers left the city from the Porta of San Bernardino or entered from the direc-tion of Genoa, the Ligurian capital, having crossed the Foce pass. Beyond this point lay an area that was not open contryside but being rich in water sources, was agriculturally active. During
9 San George Castle 10 Steps
11 Saint Mary of the Assumption Church
12 Vincentian Convent today Amedeo Lia Civic Museum
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the 17th and 18th centuries windmills were active all around the large convent of
the brotherhood of San Francesco da Paola. This is the place where the fascina-ting museum Amedeo Lia has recently been founded.
But certainly the building that has the most standing in the historical urban plan is the San Giorgio Castle. In past times it was of major importance in the Geno-ese defence system, and is now home to the municipal archeological collection. The fort rests on a rise in the hillside, and can be reached by climbing the steps from Via del Prione, or by road along the hillside on Via XXVII Marzo. The castle was built and modifi ed between the 14th and 17th centuries and is an interesting
if complex example of fortifi ed architecture. Little of the original fort still exsi-stis, this was built in two parts connected to one another. Parts of the original walls are still standing and stretch of the city wall which goes down to Piazza Sant’Agostino. The modifi cation at the beginning of the 17th century has given
the castle the appearence it has today. It now serves the city as a venue for a variety of cultural activities.
13 Entrance to Saint George Castle and walls 14 Seventeenth-century wall
15 Saint George and the Genoese Coat of Arms (Castle Entrance)
16 Sea View of Saint George Castle 13
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Coming back down via the San Giorgio and Quintino Sella steps, we’re in La Spe-zia again, to discover some history over the last two centuries. The growth of the city arose from the days of the power seeking Savo-ia family. This city with its classical architecture, wide avenues and arcades mixes with its historical old town centre, and later comes up with elegant modern day architecture.
17 Monument in honor of Garibaldi 18 Seventeenth-century gardens
19 Malta Cross Palace 20 Music Band-stand 21 Arcade of Via Chiodo 18
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The main entrance to the naval dockyard, opens onto Piazza Chiodo. A visit here is well worthwhile to see the Industrial Museum which was the pride and joy of modernism in the last century and is still a centre of activity nowadays.
There are two aspects to nineteenth century Spezia, the technological side connected to the military development in the Gulf, and the residential facet that has given rise to the development of parks and public places. The Public Gardens that lie between the via Chiodo arcades and the palmlined seafront, are symbolic of the aesthetic growth of La Spezia. The botanical gardens were fi rst designed in 1825 and are today well used by the citizenship. The city’s touches of li-berty style can be seen in the Gardens mostly around via Chiodo, and in particular, the splendid bandstand that was erected in 1866.
22 Panoramic view of city
At the beginning of the 20th century and for ten years after, many elegant buildings appeared, both residential and public. The-se remain today as the most impressive urban aspect of La Spezia. Whilst walking around Piazza Verdi and then via XX Set-tembre and via XXVII Marzo, one should look up, not to miss a glimpse of decorative additions to the buildings. Painting, sculp-ture and bas relief abound as soft female forms, contorted animal shapes, and stur-dy male fi gures, all silent immobile mem-bers of the population.
The city has passed through various mo-ments of development that can be seen in
23 Piazza Verdi & Post Offi ce Building 24 Piazza Brin, Mirko Basaldella Fountain
25 Municipality Building
26 Piazza Europa & Cristo Re Cathedral
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The Twentieth
Century
so many architectural styles from Liberty to Futurism, from deco to plain ratio-nalism up to post war times when straight lines and formality in design where the rule. The Law Courts to the East of the city designed by Ignazio Gardella are a solid example of the latter style, and in front of this building, almost in contrast, a sculpture by Klein depicts man’s uncertainty.
Museums certainly house most of the city’s archaeological and artistic history, but one can always be fascinated by artistic features on public buildings and chur-ches. Just such an example can be seen in the glazed terracotta by Andrea della Robbia in Santa Maria Assunta in Piazza Beverini. In Villa Marmori now the Giaco-mo Puccini Music Academy in via XX Settembre, the rooms are fl ooded with light that fi lters through brightly coloured stained glass. In the Public Gardens near the Town Hall building, stands the impressive “Winged Victory” statue by A. del San-to. And not far away in piazza Verdi, the mosaics by Fillia and Prampolini decorate the wall of the Post Offi ce tower, showing dynamic futuristic themes that depict a world racing against time in a technological age.
27 Government Palace of Franco Oliva 28 Details of Government Palace
29 Details of Villa Ceretti - Marmori 30 Details of Palace Fumagalli - Federici
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The Amedeo Lia museum gained its name from its benefactor. In this 17th
century Convento dei Paolotti, as well as a well furnished art collection, there are collections of jewellery, ivory, minia-tures, glass and sculptures.
The paintings are displayed in chrono-logical order from 13th century Florence
to excellent examples of 18th century
views of Rome and Venice.
And then, the ancient castle houses a museum that goes further back in time to preistoric and primitive eras.
In the San Giorgio Castle, the museum adaptly houses the prehistoric and
31 Coronation of the Vergin – Andrea della Robbia 32 Mosaic - Enrico Prampolini - Luigi Fillia 33 Details of window - Villa Ceretti - Marmori
34 A. Del Santo, Vittoria Alata
35/36 Saint George Castle - Archaeological Museum (fi ndings from Luni)
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mitive collection downstairs, and upstairs, the Roman collection. There are shi-ning examples from the site in Luni and fi nds from medieval times. Through the castle, the Stele Statues (carved stones that go back to 4000 B.C.) stand on guard, reminding us of distant times. Then back the Ethnographic Museum, composed at the end of the 19th century by Giovanni Podenzana, where the main focus is on
countrylife.
At the Palazzina delle Arti, art exibitions change throughout the year, and there is also a curious museum of seals (Museo del Sigillo) within the same building that boasts the largest collection of its kind. Onto the Technical Naval Museum where an impressive collection of fi gureheads can be admired as well as glorious reminders of naval history, and model ships that give us a clear picture of the development of navigation. Other interesting collections, estabilished thanks to private donations to the city of La Spezia can be viewed at the Diocesan Museum, The National Transport Museum and the Museum of Modern Art (Museo d’Arte Contemporanea) which is still at the planning stage.
37 Figureheads - Naval Museum 38 Reliquary - Amedio Lia Museum 39 Annunciation - Amedeo Lia Museum
40 Art Building - Seal Museum
41 Ethnographic Museum - G. Podenzana 42 Contemporary Art Museum - CAMec
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FROM REBOCCO TO SANT’ANNA
Partendo da via Monfalcone, si prende la scalinata Maggiola, poi via Maggiano per Toracca Inferiore e ancora su fi no a Toracca Superiore. A sinistra inizia via Sant’Anna che porta al borgo di Sant’Anna e la sua chiesetta. Si percorre a ritroso la stessa strada fi no a raggiungere la scalinata Maggia-no per ritrovarsi in via Monfalcone a Rebocco.
FROM BUGGI TO MADONNA DELL’OLMO
Leave from Viale Fieschi up to Buggi, and just beyond turn left to take the Sant’Anna bridlepath which rises as far as Fabiano Alto. The way to the Ma-donna dell’Olmo starts from the square in front of the Sant’Andrea church. Cross the road and after a short stretch of surfaced road, a paved footpath rises, keeping right you arrive at the Madonna dell’Olmo Sanctuary where the views are spectacular. Going back, take the same route as far as Fabiano Alto, then take the downward path along Via Scresa to get to Fabiano Basso.
FROM SAN VENERIO CHURCH TO SAN VENERIO
Start from Via della Pieve then turn right into Via della Lobbia (part road and part footpath) and go up as far as Carozzo. Follow the footpath that runs alongside the road to the district of San Venerio. Carry on past the houses towards Ca’ de Corna where, on the right you fi nd steps to Castel-vecchio, these take you back to the San Venerio church.
4 5 6 Fabiano Alto La Lizza Madonna dell’Olmo Pegazzano Rebocco S. Anna Toracca Sup. Chiappa Foce Marinasco Stra Scorza Valdellora Migliarina Sarbia Coste S. Lucia Guarsedo Toracca Inf. Fabiano Basso Buggi Carozzo Proffiano Vailunga Biassa - C inque Te rre Montepertico Vial e Ita lia Via Carducci Viale A mendo la Vial e Fie schi Via M
onfalcone Via Fiume Scalinate
Via G eno va Vi a d el C anale tto Po rto Ve ne re 9 1 2 3 4 5 7 8
Footpaths
on the green hillsides
around the town
We have said that La Spezia is to be seen on foot. Now let’s look be-yond the urban centre to the narrow dividing line between town and country, where we can climb along a choice of numerous footpaths on to the hillsides. Up, up, up, catching spectacular glimpses of seascapes, landscapes and even mountains.
FROM PEGAZZANO TO BIASSA
From suburban Pegazzano, following the route that leads to the historical centre of Biassa, it is possibile to reach the area of Tramonti, part of the Cinque Terre National Park.
VALDELLORA - SARBIA
From Valdellora, on the outskirts, the route goes back uphill to the historical village of Sarbia, with a panoramic view of the Gulf. VAILUNGA - MONTEPERTICO
At the back of the town, from the neighbourhood of Vailunga the road leads to the hill area of Montepertico. EXCURSION - PITELLI
The hillside area of Pitelli, as far back as 1900s there were for many of this area a direct path to the sea; today the itinerary winds among the woods with panoramic views of the Gulf, climbing to Monte Canarbino the fort which dates back to 19th century descends quite nicely to Lerici.
1 2 3 7 8 9 10 S. Venerio Pieve di S. Venerio ozzo Carducci Leric i 10 6 Pitelli
ALTA VIA OF THE GULF
This network of paths connect Bocca di Magra (Ameglia) to Porto Venere; itineraries can vary, venturing along the hillsi-des which crisscrosses the Gulf of La Spezia, through villages, woods, protected areas all in a territory engulfed with artistic history and environment.
FROM LA CHIAPPA TO MARINASCO PARISH CHURCH Leave from via Genova (n° 368), where a footpath goes to the bridlepath of Via Salto del Gatto as far as Guarsedo. The path keeps rising and passes near the small church of Santa Lucia and then turning left reaches Via Costa di Santa Lucia (an ancient medieval track). Cross Via Montalbano to Coste (nearby the monastery of S. Maria del Mare). From Coste a footpath goes down to Stra. Go along Via Montalbano towards the Foce and join the footpath that leads to the ancient S. Stefano church of Marinasco. The descent continues along Via Guercia as far as via Bedicenti and back to Via Genova.
FROM MARINASCO TO SANT’ANNA
From the Marinasco Church along Via Montalbano as far as the Foce. Cross the Via Aurelia and take Via Parodi to Sant’Anna.
43 View of La Spezia from Marinasco 44 Stair way to “Salto del Gatto”
45 Glance at Tramonti - from Palmaria and Tino Island Side 46 Romanesque Church of San Venerio
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Along the journey from Chiappa to Salto del Gatto one arrives at the church of Mari-nasco, an important building decorated with gothic reliefs, from the square one can see the Tuscany Region. Once at the footfall of the Foce, poised between the sea of the Gulf and the woods of the Vara Valley, one can reach Sant’Anna and back to the city near the Toracche, an interesting fortifi ed shelter with late medieval founda-tions. Then again Maggiano which is on a hillock injects into La Spezia.
On the east facing slope you can go up Via della Lobbia starting from the roma-nesque double apsed San Venerio church. Pass alongside villa Da Passano to reach Carozzo and from here to the district of San Venerio.
The Cinque Terre offers other choices of footpaths in the Gulf and a part of the Na-tional Park, the area around Tramonti, is within the La Spezia town council. To reach the Cinque Terre, one must follow the footpaths that go from Biassa down to Fossola where there is a tiny church dedicated to the Guardian Angel (Angelo Custode). From here, as one looks out to distant horizons on the sea, a footpath can be glim-psed linking Monasteroli and Schiara and up to Campiglia.
The culinary arts in La Spezia bring together the fruits of the land and sea, in a surprising but tasty way, anchovies and potatoes, or cuttle fi sh and fresh greens for example. The sea might offer fresh Mediterranean fi sh, sea bass octopus and mussels, and salted cod can be prepared in crispy batter or in a scrumptious sauce (stoccafi sso). Just as mouthwatering are the dishes from the countryside and the hillsides, such as ho-memade herb tarts and ravioli. The olive oil is of course excel-lent in these parts and adds a fi nishing touch to a tasty bowl of “mesc-ciua” a local soup made with chick peas and spelt (a type of wheat). Walking through the town centre, whiffs of this soup and “farinata” waft past to whet our appetites for a taste of these specialities made in La Spezia.
Salvatore Marchese
47 “Mesc-ciua” 48 Fish Soup 49 Chick-pea Flour Pie
50 Fresh Fish of the Gulf 51 Mussels - from the Gulf 52 Saffron - Campiglia 49 51 47 52 48 50
San Venerio, the courageus hermit lived his life fearlessly on the open sea. The coastline of the Gulf has carved its way around the bay, leaving sheer rocky drops, interspersed with inlets and coves. Waves lap harshly around the islands while inland, fl ourishing fl ora thrives inspite of inaccessible coastlines. In early medieval times, following the saint, the stony islands of Tino and Tinetto became religious settle-ments, and there had also been Christian proclamation in Porto Venere since the times of Gregorio Magno in the 6th
century. The west coast is rocky and less populated than across the bay, where Lerici and its pisano-genoese cast-le are linked with nobcast-le Sarzana, the Val di Magra and the coast. The gulf embraces the islands of Porto Venere and stretches on the opposite side to the rocky, purple streaked Punta Bianca: at the centre of this embrace lies La Spezia.
53 Amerigo Vespucci Tall Ship near Scola Tower 54 View of Tino Island from Palmaria Island
55 Panoramic View of Gulf
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The Gulf
and the
open sea
TRADITIONAL & RELIGIOUS EVENTS:
San Giuseppe, Patron Saint of the city (March 19th) From Square to Square (April)
Liguria da Bere (end of June) Jazz International Festival (July) Palio del Golfo (1st Sunday in August)
San Venerio, Patron Saint of the Gulf (September 13) La Fattoria in città (last Sunday of November)
Cercantico, antique fair (1st Sunday of every month except for July and August)
Festa della Marineria (June 2011 - biennial)
EVENTS/MANIFESTAZIONI ONLINE www.turismoprovincia.laspezia.it
56 “Liguria da Bere” Festival 57 San Venerio Procession 58 The Farm in the City
59 Feast of Saint Joseph 60 Boat Race in the Gulf
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USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS - LA SPEZIA
Town Hall P.zza Europa, 1 tel 0187 7271
City Council Tourism Service Via Fiume, 207 tel 0187 745627
Beghi Civic Library Trasversale Via del Popolo, 61 tel 0187 513295
U. Castagna I.T. Library Via del Popolo, 61 tel 0187 599354
Mazzini Civic Library C.so Cavour, 251 tel 0187 738279
University Via dei Colli, 90 tel 0187 751265
Civic Theatre P.zza Mentana tel 0187 757075
Amedeo Lia Civic Museum Via del Prione, 234 tel 0187 731100
Art Gallery - Seal Museum Via del Prione, 236 tel 0187 778544
CAMEC (Modern and Contemporary Art Centre) P.zza C. Battisti, 1 tel 0187 734593 S. George Castle (Archaeological Museum U. Formentini) Via XXVII Marzo tel 0187 751142 Diocesan Museum and Museum of Ethnographyc Via del Prione, 156 tel 0187 258570 “G. Podenzana”
Naval Museum V.le Amendola, 1 tel 0187 783016
Transport Museum Via Fossitermi, 1 tel 313 8043639 - 335 5451474
Boat trip Agency Via Don Minzoni, 13 tel 0187 732987
Harbour Offi ces V.le Italia, 4 tel 0187 258101
Transport Agency A.T.C. P.zza Chiodo, 7 tel 800 322 322
Train Station P.le Medaglie D’Oro tel 0187 892121
Public Swimming Pool Via Monfalcone, 4 tel 0187 702066
Sports Centre Via della Pianta tel 0187 510869
tel/Fax 0187 564238
Local Health Centre Via XXIV Maggio, 139 tel 0187 5331
City Police Via Lamarmora, 17 tel 0187 7261
Carabinieri Via Generale dalla Chiesa, 1 tel 0187 5911
Welfare Assistance Via Carducci tel 0187 564001
Post Offi ce P.zza Verdi tel 0187 258431
Taxi - Radio Taxi tel 0187 523523
Youth and Multimedia Cultural Centre - D. Ruggiero Via Monteverdi, 117 (Fossitermi) tel 0187 713264
Youth Hostel “Tramonti” Via F. Filzi, 110 (Biassa) tel 0187 758507
Campervan Parking Area Loc. Pagliari tel 331 7233910
100% Ecological Paper
La Spezia Province - Tourism Service · Viale Mazzini 47 - Tel. 0187 7421 · Fax 0187 770908 www.provincia.sp.it - turiprov@provincia.sp.it
Local Touristic System CinqueTerre & Riviera Spezzina
c/o Township Via Telemaco Signorini, 118 19017 Riomaggiore
www.stl5terre.it - info@stl5terre.it
Local Touristic System
Golfo dei Poeti, Val di Magra e Val di Vara
Tel. 0187 733525 - 0187 763253 - Fax 0187 733525 www.stl.sp.it - info@stl.sp.it
IAT - TOURISTIC INFORMATION & RECEPTION OFFICE
& LOCAL TOURIST OFFICES
LA SPEZIA
Viale Italia, 5 Tel. 0187 770900
Fax 0187 023945· iat_spezia@provincia.sp.it
c/o Railway Station
P.le Medaglie D’Oro
Tel. 0187 718997 · Fax 0187 023945
Brugnato
c/o Highway entrance area Tel. 0187 896526 Fax 0187 896944
Connections by Land/Sea/Air
Connections by road: Motorway A12 - Genova-Livorno; Motorway A15 - La Spezia-Parma; S.S. n. 1 Aurelia; S.S. n. 62 del Passo della Cisa; S.S. n. 63 del Passo del Cerreto; S.S. n. 331 - S.S. n. 330 - S.S n. 530 - S.S. n. 370.
Connections by rail: Trains for all destinations leave from the Central Station La Spezia Connections by air: International Airport “C. Colombo” - Genova - Tel. 010/60151 - Km 100 International Airport “G. Galilei” - Pisa - Tel. 050/849300 - Km 90
Airclub Luni Via Alta Vecchia S. Lazzaro Sarzana - Tel. 0187/673180 - Km 18
Bus services: Services throughout the province excluding the Cinque Terre and Riviera apart from Volastra (Riomaggiore), Azienda Trasporti Consortile (A.T.C.) - Information: everyday (holydays included) from 07.00 am to 07.30 pm toll free number 800 322 322; from 05.15 am to 07.00 am and from 07.30 pm to 02.00 am Tel. 0187 522511 - Services for Toscana - Emilia - Trentino: (January/March-July/August) - Lorenzini S.r.l. - Via Larga, 105 - Ortonovo - Tel. 66804
Connections by sea: Golfo della Spezia - Cinque Terre - Tigullio - Versilia
CONSORZIO MARITTIMO TURISTICO 5 TERRE GOLFO DEI POETI Via Don Minzoni, 13 - 19121 · La Spezia - Tel. 0187 732987 Fax 0187 730336 www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti.it RAPALLO - GENOVA MAGR A PARM A A12 VAR A LA SP E Z IA A15 LA SPEZIA MAGRA AU TO STR A DA A12 GENOV A - LIVORNO TORINO MILANO
GENOVA - SAVONA MILANO BOLOGNAPARMA
CEPARANA S. STEFANO M. SS N ° 330 SS N° 1 SS N ° 3 31 SS N ° 1 LA SPEZIA - GENOV A BIASSA CINQUE TERRE LEV ANTO RIOM AGGIORE SS N° 370 SS N ° 5 30 PORTO VENERE SS N ° 1 SS N° 331 LERICI SARZANA S S N ° 6 2 BOCCA DI MAGRA CARRARA LUCCA PISA FIRENZE VERSILIA ROMA LA SPEZIA - ROM A LA SPEZIA A15 A12 A12 BOLOGNA VENEZIA PISA GENOV A MILANO FIRENZE ROMA PARMA LA SPEZIA LI G U R I A
Publication realized by:
Provincia della Spezia Servizio Turismo
Service direction: dr. Marco Casarino, Dirigente del Servizio
Editorial coordination:
dr. Sabrina Cipriani, Responsabile Unità Organizzativa Promozione/Editoria
Collaboration: Antonio Protopapa (Editoria), Susan-na Cuccureddu, Concetta La Placa (Amministrazione) Viale Mazzini 47 - 19121 La Spezia - Tel. 0187 7421 Fax 0187 770908
www.provincia.sp.it - turiprov@provincia.sp.it
Text: Andrea Marmori & Salvatore Marchese Iconographic research and page layout: B&B Grafi ca Digitale S.r.l.
Photographs: Archivio Regione Liguria, Archivio Fotografi co della Provincia della Spezia
Archives - Diocesan Cultural Estates Archives – Province of La Spezia - Photos
Other Photographs: Walter Bilotta, Sergio Fregoso, Claudia Galli, Dina Nobili, Davide Palummo, Enrico Amici, Federigo Salvadori, Angelo Barberis, Davide Marcesini
Extended Thank you: Alda Betucchi & Silvia Cavallini Edition 2010 · © Provincia della Spezia
Offset and photo printing:
www.bebgrafi cadigitale.it
Printing: La Zincografi ca Fiorentina (FI)
Traslated by: Catherine Bonanini
Cover photograph:
Promenade Morin
Back cover: