San Pietro on the cliff and the Palmaria
At the southern tip of the promontory that closes the Gulf of La Spezia to the west, Portovenere is one of the most beautiful villages of Liguria and, together with the Cinque Terre and the islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its name probably comes from a temple dedicated to Venus, which according to tradition stood on the promontory. In the Middle Ages it was a fortified outpost of the Republic of Genoa, and its long row of tall, narrow, colourful tower houses along the harbour, the "palazzata", formed a wall facing the sea, with the main lane, the Carruggio, running behind.
At the end of the village, on a rocky spur overlooking the open sea, stands the church of San Pietro, consecrated in 1198 and enlarged in the Gothic style in the thirteenth century, with its unmistakable black and white striped stone, built on the site of an ancient temple: one of the most photographed places in Liguria, especially at sunset. Next to it, the Grotta di Byron, a cove among the rocks, recalls the English poet, who is said to have swum from here across the gulf to Lerici to visit his friend Shelley. Above the village rises the Doria Castle, with a view of the gulf, and the Romanesque church of San Lorenzo. In front of Portovenere, across a narrow channel, the island of Palmaria, the largest in Liguria, can be reached by boat and offers paths, beaches and the Blue Grotto; further out are the islands of Tino, with a lighthouse, and the tiny Tinetto.
Tip: take a boat tour around the three islands; in summer, arrive by boat from La Spezia or the Cinque Terre, as parking is difficult.
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