Page 128 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Italian Riviera

126  THE IT ALIAN RIVIER A AREA B Y AREA

fortified fishing village, with rows centuries BC), with a mosaic
of brightly painted houses on pavement and a small museum,
the slope down to the harbour. known as the Antiquarium.
Behind is a maze of narrow
alleys and vaulted staircases, + Castello
populated by Portovenere’s Tel 0187 791 106. Open 10:30am–
famous cats. 5:30pm daily. Closed during events &
At the tip of the headland in winter. &
is the striped church of San P Antiquarium del Varignano
Pietro, built in 1277 in honour Le Grazie. Tel 0187 790 307.
of the patron saint of fishermen. Open on request.
The church in the pretty medieval village It incorporates elements of a
of Campiglia 6th-century, early Christian church
and has a small Romanesque
u Campiglia loggia, open to the sea.
Also worth visiting is San
La Spezia. Road Map F5. * 150. Lorenzo, a short walk up an
V La Spezia. @ from La Spezia.
n IAT Cinque Terre, 0187 770 900. alley from the harbour. This
∑ campiglia.net and beautiful Romanesque church
∑ tramontidicampiglia.it was built in the 12th century,
but reworked in the Gothic
This rural village, founded in and Renaissance eras. It has a
the Middle Ages and occupying wonderfully rustic font inside.
a precipitous position near the Further up the alley (it is a
coast only a short distance steep climb), visitors will reach
from La Spezia, is fascinating the 16th-century castello. The church of San Pietro at Portovenere,
and magical. Built by the Genoese, this is a overlooking the sea
Campiglia was built on an grandiose example of military
old mule road along the ridge architecture, and also offers o Palmaria, Tino
between Portovenere and fantastic views. It is linked to
Levanto, and it is still a great the town by a line of walls with and Tinetto
starting point for walks. The square towers. The remains of La Spezia. Road Map F5. g from
most beautiful, and hardest, various medieval fortifications La Spezia or Portovenere for Isola
walk is along CAI (Italian Alpine are still visible around Palmaria, 0187 732 987. n IAT
Club) path no. 11. This takes Portovenere. Portovenere, 0187 790 691.
visitors through the spectacular Le Grazie, along the winding
terrain of the Tramonti, a route north from Portovenere to Liguria’s only archipelago once
continuation of the Cinque Terre La Spezia, is another place of formed part of the headland
with terraces of vines, before a great beauty. Monte Muzzerone of Portovenere.
steep flight of 2,000 steps nearby is hugely popular among The largest island, Isola
descends down as far as the free-climbers. The village itself Palmaria, is divided from the
small beach of Punta del Persico: is home to the church of Santa mainland by just a narrow
the landscape open to the sea Maria delle Grazie (15th century) channel. It is covered in dense
is genuinely breathtaking. and the 16th-century monastery vegetation on one side, and has
of the Olivetans. By the inlet of steep cliffs and caves on the
Varignano, nearby, is a ruined other. In the past, Portor marble,
i Portovenere Roman villa (2nd to 1st a valuable black stone used in
La Spezia. Road Map F5. * 4,600.
V La Spezia. @ n Piazza Bastreri 7,
0187 790 691. _ Festa della
Madonna Bianca (17 Aug).
∑ portovenere.it and
∑ prolocoportovenere.it
Portus Veneris (the port of
Venus) was praised for its
beauty as far back as Roman
times. Nowadays, its beauty and
cachet even rival those
of Portofino.
Lying at the base of the rocky
cliff that fringes the western
side of the Golfo della Spezia,
Portovenere resembles a typical The harbour at Portovenere, with its characteristic painted houses
For hotels and restaurants in this area see pp181–2 and pp191–4

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