Description
La Spezia is the second largest municipality in Liguria after Genoa and is located a few tens of kilometres from the border with Tuscany. It overlooks the eponymous gulf, which is also known as the Gulf of Poets. In the city you can visit the Technical Naval Museum, the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, the Church of Nostra Signora della Neve, and the medieval Castle of San Giorgio. It is also an excellent starting point for discovering the island of Palmaria and the Cinque Terre.
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Things to do
Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta
Situated in the centre of La Spezia's ancient Old Town and dating to the 14th century, the Church of Santa Maria, La Spezia has a variety of works of art and functioned as a cathedral from 1929 until the current La Spezia cathedral was built in 1975.
Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre (Five Lands), is a collection of five historic fishing towns situated high on the Italian Riviera in the province of Liguria. Until recently, the towns were only reachable by rail or sea. The largest of the five settlements in Cinque Terre is Monterosso., where you'll find a large, sandy beach, as well as bars and restaurants.
Isola Palmaria
At the westernmost point of the Gulf of La Spezia, nestled next to the Ligurian Sea, is the beautiful Italian island of Palmaria. It is the biggest island in an archipelago of three smaller islands and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
San Giorgio Castle
The 13th-century Castle of San Giorgio in La Spezia offers fantastic views of the city. Additionally, it has an archaeological museum with a sizable collection of Roman artefacts that features La Spezia-related Neolithic artefacts. The earliest fortress on the site, which now stands as the fortress of San Giorgio and overlooks the city of La Spezia, was constructed in 1262.
The Church of our Lady of the Snow
Situated in the centre of the city’s main shopping street, Via Garibaldi, the Church of our Lady of the Snow was designed by architect, Ferrari d’Orsara. The church, which was constructed to hold a remarkable picture of the Madonna, has three aisles that are covered in neo-byzantine murals and feature Verona red marble, which gives the entire setting a lovely sunset-like hue.
The Naval Technical Museum
In the 1860s, the Italian navy constructed a base in La Spezia, which later developed into one of its main dockyards and arsenals. The museum got its start in the 18th century with an exhibition of objects from the Savoy royal family's navy at Villafranca and subsequently in Genoa. In 1870, it was moved to La Spezia. Ship figureheads from the 18th and 19th centuries are among the collection's various models of ships.