La Spezia

When you stay in La Spezia, which is a city to be experienced in the open air, apart from the sea you should not forget the other environments that characterise the provincial territory, such as the parks, rivers and hills with evocative views: by allowing yourself to be enveloped in all the senses by this ensemble, you will discover an area rich in extraordinary beauty and unique charm.

Noteworthy are the Historical Gardens, open to the public, a small botanical garden in the heart of the city, right in front of the historical centre on Via Chiodo. Here, where there is no shortage of benches for resting, you can admire specimens of the local flora such as the fragrant cedars of Levante. Further green areas on the immediate outskirts such as Parco XXV Aprile or della Maggiolina to the east and Parco della Rimembranza to the north, Parco del Colombaio to the west, without forgetting Parco delle Mura, recently opened, which connects the centre to the Colli Nord (northern hills) area of the city and is a green area to be enjoyed for excursions, family outings and walks from dawn to dusk. For those who do not want to give up the sea, Passeggiata Morin is just across the street, with kiosks and refreshment points in abundance.

The best season to enjoy the indulgent climate of La Spezia is not, contrary to popular belief, summer, but the last few days of spring before that. Since it is not equipped with a real beach (for bathing, there are the sandy beaches of San Terenzo, Lerici and Fiascherino ten minutes away and the cobblestone and rocky beaches of Portovenere 20 minutes away), the city is best experienced in the days of mild heat, when the flowers in the parks are an explosion of colours and the various businesses often come to the tourist’s aid with prices that are not yet high season.

The same benefit of the climate can also be obtained by heading inland using the dense network of paths, with ring routes, that reconnect the city to all its hillside hamlets, and bearing in mind that Sentiero Liguria has its first six stages in the province of La Spezia and that through the immediate villages outside the city one can easily connect to the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri (High Route of the Ligurian Mountains). As far as flora and fauna are concerned, on the route that runs along Monte Alpicella and then up to Monte Gottero, you can admire luxuriant woods of hornbeams and birches and the whole range of biodiversity of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, even coming across wild anemones and orchids. Near Arcola, the Lipu Oasis of San Genesio awaits you, a major attraction for birdwatchers, part of the Montemarcello-Magra Regional Natural Park.

It is precisely the latter that is responsible for protecting the river area comprising the stretch of the Magra river flowing through Liguria, from the promontory of Monte Caprione in Arcola towards the sea as far as Punta Bianca: on one side it embraces the Gulf of La Spezia and the open sea, on the other the mouth of the Magra, the Luni plain and the Apuan Alps, in an arc of eighteen municipalities including Brugnato, Pignone, Santo Stefano Magra and Sarzana. Immersed in the Mediterranean vegetation, among patches of holm oak, myrtle, coming across white cistus (Cistus albidus) and hawthorn on Caprione, one is lulled by the tranquillity of the wetlands, where aquatic birds nest, arriving to the protected area of Montemarcello, a true joy for the eyes. Near the Montemarcello Botanical Garden or in the alleyways of the villages along the Alta via dei Monti Liguri, in Serra or Pignone, or by bicycle on the long paths along the seashore, from the Sarzana area to Versilia, there are moments of relaxation for all tastes.

The cork oaks that grow almost undisturbed in the direction of the Cinque Terre are also magnificent. As you walk through the greenery, at times the woods give way to pastures and terraced hillsides, inevitably giving you a heavenly glimpse of the Cinque Terre National Park and its clean sea. The wide inlet that contains the Gulf of La Spezia, stretching from Lerici to Portovenere, is worth the trekking routes alone, passing through woods and hills, easy to cross even for the youngest.

The cuisine of La Spezia has always been based on poor but typical ingredients, whose authenticity has elevated it to Gourmet status. With the skilful use of aromatic herbs, where the main condiment is olive oil with controlled denomination of origin, without taking anything away from the Ligurian condiment par excellence, pesto, in the land where rosemary, thyme, vines, oregano, olive trees together with chestnut and acacia trees dominate the crops and the landscape, which is transfused into the variety of savoury wines that are emblematic of the local microclimate: the Cinque Terre Doc, the Lievantu doc, the Vermentino dei Colli di Luni and the Sciacchetrà di Riomaggiore, more suitable for desserts, such as a good trifle or, in winter, a slice of exquisite castagnaccio. The sea, rich in blue fish, mussel and oyster cultivations, and fish farms (for fish to be served), helps to provide the tourist or visitor with the idea of a tour of our city, even if only in terms of food and wine, thanks to the bistros, restaurants, pizzerias, and beer bars that have grown exponentially in the last decade, raising their quality and be- coming, together with food, the ingredients that contribute to the attractiveness of our area, the annual venue of the Italian oyster fest, the first national oyster festival in Italy.

Gastronomic options, therefore, for all palates and all budgets, from street food, which is the protagonist of a festival between the end of May and the beginning of June, to slow food sites, to refined and/ or revisited typical cuisine, to nouvelle cuisine, to vegetarian and vegan options, ending with the growing search for craft beers and liqueurs of the territory.

Among the first courses, the most famous is undoubtedly mesciua, a hot soup made of cereals and pulses and served lukewarm; in this order, we continue with minestrone alla Genovese (Genoese style), a vegetable soup sometimes puréed and with the addition, at times, of small types of pasta; ravioli, stuffed pasta that is the object of a true generational cult, served with meat sauce or with the famous Genoese touch, testaroli, sheets of pasta served with pesto or tomato sauce, sometimes with the sauce of freshly picked walnuts, capponada, made with bread from the day before soaked in vinegar, salted anchovies, onions, tomatoes, basil, capers and a little red chilli pepper.

Fritters made of chestnut flour, found both in the hills of Val di Vara and those of neighbouring Lunigiana, and panigacci, also to be served with cheese and cured meats, are the top of the offer as far as appetisers are concerned.

It is easy and convenient to visit La Spezia and its immediate surroundings, by whatever means one uses.
The municipal administration, with the project La Spezia Walk! has set up a number of road signs, around the historic centre, from which the visitor can connect, via QR Code, to an interactive multimedia content describing the historical and cultural heritage to be seen during the tourist walk, or on the cycle and pedestrian circuit, to enhance the experience of one’s stay.

The historic centre is people-oriented: one can easily stroll through the streets and squares to visit the art treasures, lose oneself in the aromas emanating from the kitchens of restaurants, bistros and delicatessens, and go shopping.

The long seafront promenade that connects the Water Front Groove and the Cruises Terminal with the Mirabello Port and the Navy buildings leads directly into the city centre and is overlooked by public gardens and pedestrian or restricted traffic zones.

La Spezia is a city made up of several districts and hamlets, developed in length and distributed between the area near the dock and, with picturesque flights of steps, the hills behind it, which can also be reached from the very scenic provincial roads. A city of “wide streets and tall, yellow houses”, as Ernest Hemingway wrote, it has gone from being an ancient fishing village to being a pole of international importance for tourism of all kinds and forms.

Strolling along these streets, the imprint of the Italian-style public gardens, near the sea promenade, known as Morin, and that of the 20th-century villas, shaded by palm trees, which one encounters before arriving to the porticoes of Via Chiodo, are enjoyable and striking. There are also numerous Art Nouveau villas and buildings, especially after Via del Prione, home to the trendiest shops, or concentrated in and around Piazza Sant’Agostino.

The centre also has its own typical serpentine alleyways and the architecture of yesteryear, which is interrupted by the large Military Arsenal complex, which underwent a radical transformation from the second half of the 19th century onwards at the behest of the Savoy family.

The local transport service includes regular buses and trains, the latter option being particularly useful for journeys to the Migliarina and Cà di Boschetti railway stations, which also give their name to the districts.

Alternatively, there is an extensive bus network managed by A.T.C. Mobilità e Parcheggi, which covers the entire municipal territory and integrates routes with several routes to the nearby seaside and foothill towns, connecting the centre and stations with all the districts and hamlets.

There is a Shuttle Bus Service to the city centre that skips unnecessary stops, departing from the Pala Spezia car park, very close to the end of the motorway entering the city, and from the Piazza D’Armi car park.

During the spring and summer seasons, connections with the Cinque Terre, the La Spezia Riviera and the seaside villages of the Gulf of Poets are also possible by sea thanks to the tourist boat service. Also noteworthy for pleasure boating is the small port in the hamlet of Cadimare, which is a safe harbour. With your own or rented boat, it is easy to reach the magnificent cliffs of Portovenere and the Cinque Terre, Palmaria Island, and the villages and hamlets of the municipalities of Lerici and Ameglia.

The car is preferred in low season or for day trips to inland locations such as Sarzana, Luni, Brugnato, Varese Ligure and other villages of both historical and tourist interest. A dense network of trails makes it possible to retrace on foot or by bicycle the roads leading to the Cinque Terre, the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri (Upper Route of Ligurian Mountains), the Vara Valley, the Magra Valley and Lunigiana. They are accessible in all seasons and are part of wider contexts of slow roads. Lastly, a cycle path runs along the city, connecting the centre and the south-west and south-east districts. Bicycles and scooters can be rented in time at many points throughout the city centre.

In the first case, you can already admire Piazzale del Marinaio with its monument to the Vittoria Alata (Winged Victory) by Angiolo Del Santo, and then Piazza Europa dominated by the imposing Cathedral of Cristo Re (Christ the King), superb in its recently built circular layout, protected by a large parvis, and inside which twelve pillars delimit an ambulacrum and enclose the central hall that can hold up to 2.500 people; conceived in 1929, the project won the competition for the construction of the new Cathedral, and its designer was architect Brenno Del Giudice, but the project was later shelved until 1956, when it was taken up again and completely modified by Adalberto Libera. During construction, Libera’s original design was partly revised by Cesare Galeazzi. The vaulted crypt houses the relics of St Venerio, the tomb of the mystic Itala Mela and the first bishops of the Diocese. Surrounding Piazza Europa in futurist style are the Town Hall and the Treasury building. Continuing to the left of the square on the upstream side, we arrive in Piazza Verdi, which was renovated in 2016 with the redevelopment and pedestrianisation of the public spaces combined with the well-known Buren arches, dominated by the futurist Palazzo delle Poste (Post Office Building), home to a striking fountain created by Angelo Mazzoni and recently restored and dedicated to Fausto Baratta, creator of the city’s aqueduct, and the nearby Villa Marmori, now home to the Conservatory of music.

At this point, continuing along Via del Torretto, within a short distance we arrive in Via Manzoni on the right, at the crossroads of which stands the block of flats of what was once the former Albergo San Giorgio, designed by Franco Oliva, with the stylised statue of the warrior saint placed on top of the building, but still visible from below, and at a glance uphill, Scalinata San Giorgio (San Giorgio Stairs) begins, leading directly to the Castle of San Giorgio and its Formentini Archaeological Museum, which houses a collection of Lunigiana Stele Statues, artefacts of incredible value from the ancient Roman colony of Luni.

Continuing straight along Via del Torretto, itself the site of bistros and restaurants, we enter Piazzetta del Bastione, full of bars and eateries, and then Piazza Sant’Agostino, home to the city’s Art Nouveau heart and the church of the same name, we also reach the monument to the Countess of Castiglione Virginia Oldoini, by maestro Francesco Vaccarone, and almost opposite that dedicated to Richard Wagner (a gift from Russian sculptor Aidyn Zeinalov), who stayed in La Spezia and was inspired in the composition of Das Rhein-gold. From Piazza Sant’Agostino we finally flow into Via del Prione and the parallel Corso Cavour, which we will discuss later.

From Via Chiodo, crossed by all ATC mobility lines, we can first visit Via Del Prione, long and narrow like the typical Genoese carrugi (alleyways) and full of side streets, overlooked by the ancient residences of the Doria Marquises. It is the heart of La Spezia’s shopping, and has a number of room rentals at even cheap prices. As you walk along it from the beginning, you will find the neoclassical building of the Civic Theatre, followed by the building where Wagner stayed, the city’s major museums including the Giovanni Podenzana Ethnographic Museum and the Diocesan Museum, then the Amedeo Lia Civic Museum, named after the collector from whom the major works on display were donated to the building and which range from medieval miniatures to a rich collection of 17th-century paintings and works of art from the 13th to 18th century; Adjacent, in the Palazzina delle Arti Lucio Alberto Rosaia, where there is also a Special Library of Art History and Archaeology, is the Museo del Sigillo (Seal Museum) with the permanent exhibition by the landscape painter Agostino Fossati.