Portovenere the furthermost western point of the Gulf of La Spezia. Takes its name from Venere Ericinia, Venus the goddess of love, in Roman times a temple was built to venerate her, remains of this can be seen today in the church of St Peter, situated at the promontory headland.
Portovenere boasts numerous excellent restaurants, mostly fish cuisine locally caught. Cinqueterre wines are wonderful accompaniment to ones meal. Mussels too are locally farmed.
In 1931 under the Podestà (chief magistrate) Ettore Mori the first water system was built in the only square in the town centre, where the cistern of the ancient Genoese colony already existed to carry rain water.
So the fountain recalling the medieval style was erected in this square which interrupts the row of houses of the main alley.. The old people of the village still call this square “the cistern square”, although this was then dedicated to Paolo Centinaro, benefactor born in Portovenere who wanted the first kindergarten to be built next to San Lorenzo Church.
Despite the mass tourism, people still stop to admire the beatiful old fountain recalling an ancient past.
The picturesque maritime burg with its tall, narrow colouful houses located in the far western end of the Gulf of La Spezia in front of the Palmaria Island, with the smaller Tino and Tinetto islands behind the latter.
This ancient burg surrounded by walls with three towers is dominated by the Gothic Church of San lorenzo.
National Park of the Cinque Terre, a territory where sea and earth melt to form a unique suggestive atmosphere.
An uneven part of the coast of the Eastern Ligurian Riviera located in the area of the province of La Spezia between Punta Mesco and Punta di Montenero, where the five burgs where built.
One of the three towns near La Spezia overlooking the wonderful Poets Gulf.
Close to this is Tellaro, which has been considered one of the most beautiful burgs in Italy. To be seen are the Castle in San Terenzo, the small harbour and the fortress in Lerici.
One of the main features of the town is its historic centre, animated by scents and colours, offering the ideal occasion to discover the whole city and its core with the typical snake-shaped alleys and a charming sea front with a big park at its back side.
