La Spezia (Italian: [la ˈspɛttsja] ( listen); A Spèza in the local dialect of Ligurian), at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of Northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia.
The last of the five villages along the Cinque Terre strip, Monterosso al Mare is the most visited, largely because it has the only sizable sand beach and the biggest hotels. Though it can get very crowded with tourists during the peak summer months, Monterosso is still delightful. The old town area, separated from the more modern resort area by the Aurora tower, is home to the ruins of a medieval castle and San Francesco church, which houses an important Van Dyck painting of the crucifixion.
With Cinque Terre’s only proper harbor, Vernazza has a long history as a fishing village. While there is a small beach, sightseeing is more common in this astoundingly beautiful cliffside town. Highlights include the 16th-century Belforte Tower (which offers incredible views of the area), the 11th-century Doria Castle and the 14th-century Santa Margherita d'Antiochia church. It involves a steep hike, but the shrine at Nostra Signora Di Reggio (Our Lady of Reggio) is well worth it.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site was a favorite of Byron, Shelley and D.H. Lawrence. (In fact, if you don’t mind a few rocks, you can swim at one of Byron’s favorite spots, now dubbed Byron’s Cove.) Portovenere’s San Pietro Church was built on the remains of a 6th-century church, which was itself built atop an ancient Roman temple to Venus. Relax and enjoy the boats bobbing in lines on the pretty bay, or daytrip to the Cinqueterre.
La Spezia (Italian: [la ˈspɛttsja] ( listen); A Spèza in the local dialect of Ligurian), at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of Northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia.
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