La SpeziaGracefully charming

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It is a well known fact that to know a city inside out, a stroll on foot brings the most satisfaction. Our hurried lifestyle nowadays, can always have an improved quality by giving ourselves time to walk around a place, purely to enjoy the visual pleasures.

This goes for La Spezia too, it should be discovered wi-thout haste leaving from the jetty where the ferries are moored, called “Molo Italia”. Go through the exo-tic Public Gardens which are the pride of the city for their careful upkeep and fl ourishing fl ora. Then along Viale Diaz to the crossroad with Via Chiodo with its airy shaded arcades. Straight across is Via Prione, a lively pedestrian street in the heart of the old town. The Civico Theatre designed by Franco Oliva comes up on your left symbolising the elegant thirties. A little way on where the street narrows, below the length of wall that dates back to the beginning of the seven-teenth century, what was once one of the entrances to La Spezia can be seen. This was in fact the entrance from the Naval Base to the walled city.

1 Via del Prione2 Garden along Promenade3 Fish Market & Food Market

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Here we are in the heart of the town that is now a pe-destrian way, and where traces of La Spezia in medie-val renaissance and baroque times can be glimpsed and not to be missed on your way are the splendid solid Genoese doorways of the Doria Pamphili and Massa buildings. Carved stone decorates the houses all along Via del Prione and the surrounding side stre-ets. A stop to admire the nearby Piazza S. Agostino gives a real feeling of La Spezia nowadays. Looking towards the sea, the buildings continue, these were originally built as rows of towers like soldiers defen-ding the city and gave homes for the nobility in the baroque period. Towards the hillside there are po-stwar buildings that were erected around the 15th century convent of Sant’Agostino.

4 Promenade Morin5 Viale Mazzini6 Garden from hilltop

7 Piazza Sant’Agostino8 Arcade of via Cadorna

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The San Giorgio Castle

Back in Via del Prione and further along, there is Dio-cesan Museum, in the de-consacrated oratory of San Bernardino. In past times, travellers left the city from the Porta of San Bernardino or entered from the direc-tion of Genoa, the Ligurian capital, having crossed the Foce pass. Beyond this point lay an area that was not open contryside but being rich in water sources, was agriculturally active. During

9 San George Castle10 Steps

11 Saint Mary of the Assumption Church12 Vincentian Convent today Amedeo Lia Civic Museum

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the 17th and 18th centuries windmills were active all around the large convent of the brotherhood of San Francesco da Paola. This is the place where the fascina-ting museum Amedeo Lia has recently been founded.But certainly the building that has the most standing in the historical urban plan is the San Giorgio Castle. In past times it was of major importance in the Geno-ese defence system, and is now home to the municipal archeological collection. The fort rests on a rise in the hillside, and can be reached by climbing the steps from Via del Prione, or by road along the hillside on Via XXVII Marzo. The castle was built and modifi ed between the 14th and 17th centuries and is an interesting if complex example of fortifi ed architecture. Little of the original fort still exsi-stis, this was built in two parts connected to one another. Parts of the original walls are still standing and stretch of the city wall which goes down to Piazza Sant’Agostino. The modifi cation at the beginning of the 17th century has given the castle the appearence it has today. It now serves the city as a venue for a variety of cultural activities.

13 Entrance to Saint George Castle and walls14 Seventeenth-century wall

15 Saint George and the Genoese Coat of Arms (Castle Entrance)16 Sea View of Saint George Castle

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Coming back down via the San Giorgio and Quintino Sella steps, we’re in La Spe-zia again, to discover some history over the last two centuries. The growth of the city arose from the days of the power seeking Savo-ia family. This city with its classical architecture, wide avenues and arcades mixes with its historical old town centre, and later comes up with elegant modern day architecture.

17 Monument in honor of Garibaldi18 Seventeenth-century gardens

19 Malta Cross Palace20 Music Band-stand21 Arcade of Via Chiodo

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The main entrance to the naval dockyard, opens onto Piazza Chiodo. A visit here is well worthwhile to see the Industrial Museum which was the pride and joy of modernism in the last century and is still a centre of activity nowadays.There are two aspects to nineteenth century Spezia, the technological side connected to the military development in the Gulf, and the residential facet that has given rise to the development of parks and public places. The Public Gardens that lie between the via Chiodo arcades and the palmlined seafront, are symbolic of the aesthetic growth of La Spezia. The botanical gardens were fi rst designed in 1825 and are today well used by the citizenship. The city’s touches of li-berty style can be seen in the Gardens mostly around via Chiodo, and in particular, the splendid bandstand that was erected in 1866.

22 Panoramic view of city

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At the beginning of the 20th century and for ten years after, many elegant buildings appeared, both residential and public. The-se remain today as the most impressive urban aspect of La Spezia. Whilst walking around Piazza Verdi and then via XX Set-tembre and via XXVII Marzo, one should look up, not to miss a glimpse of decorative additions to the buildings. Painting, sculp-ture and bas relief abound as soft female forms, contorted animal shapes, and stur-dy male fi gures, all silent immobile mem-bers of the population.The city has passed through various mo-ments of development that can be seen in

23 Piazza Verdi & Post Offi ce Building24 Piazza Brin, Mirko Basaldella Fountain

25 Municipality Building26 Piazza Europa & Cristo Re Cathedral

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The TwentiethCentury

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so many architectural styles from Liberty to Futurism, from deco to plain ratio-nalism up to post war times when straight lines and formality in design where the rule. The Law Courts to the East of the city designed by Ignazio Gardella are a solid example of the latter style, and in front of this building, almost in contrast, a sculpture by Klein depicts man’s uncertainty.Museums certainly house most of the city’s archaeological and artistic history, but one can always be fascinated by artistic features on public buildings and chur-ches. Just such an example can be seen in the glazed terracotta by Andrea della Robbia in Santa Maria Assunta in Piazza Beverini. In Villa Marmori now the Giaco-mo Puccini Music Academy in via XX Settembre, the rooms are fl ooded with light that fi lters through brightly coloured stained glass. In the Public Gardens near the Town Hall building, stands the impressive “Winged Victory” statue by A. del San-to. And not far away in piazza Verdi, the mosaics by Fillia and Prampolini decorate the wall of the Post Offi ce tower, showing dynamic futuristic themes that depict a world racing against time in a technological age.

27 Government Palace of Franco Oliva28 Details of Government Palace

29 Details of Villa Ceretti - Marmori30 Details of Palace Fumagalli - Federici

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The Amedeo Lia museum gained its name from its benefactor. In this 17th century Convento dei Paolotti, as well as a well furnished art collection, there are collections of jewellery, ivory, minia-tures, glass and sculptures.The paintings are displayed in chrono-logical order from 13th century Florence to excellent examples of 18th century views of Rome and Venice.And then, the ancient castle houses a museum that goes further back in time to preistoric and primitive eras.In the San Giorgio Castle, the museum adaptly houses the prehistoric and pri-

31 Coronation of the Vergin – Andrea della Robbia32 Mosaic - Enrico Prampolini - Luigi Fillia33 Details of window - Villa Ceretti - Marmori

34 A. Del Santo, Vittoria Alata 35/36 Saint George Castle - Archaeological Museum (fi ndings from Luni)

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mitive collection downstairs, and upstairs, the Roman collection. There are shi-ning examples from the site in Luni and fi nds from medieval times. Through the castle, the Stele Statues (carved stones that go back to 4000 B.C.) stand on guard, reminding us of distant times. Then back the Ethnographic Museum, composed at the end of the 19th century by Giovanni Podenzana, where the main focus is on countrylife.At the Palazzina delle Arti, art exibitions change throughout the year, and there is also a curious museum of seals (Museo del Sigillo) within the same building that boasts the largest collection of its kind. Onto the Technical Naval Museum where an impressive collection of fi gureheads can be admired as well as glorious reminders of naval history, and model ships that give us a clear picture of the development of navigation. Other interesting collections, estabilished thanks to private donations to the city of La Spezia can be viewed at the Diocesan Museum, The National Transport Museum and the Museum of Modern Art (Museo d’Arte Contemporanea) which is still at the planning stage.

37 Figureheads - Naval Museum 38 Reliquary - Amedio Lia Museum 39 Annunciation - Amedeo Lia Museum

40 Art Building - Seal Museum41 Ethnographic Museum - G. Podenzana42 Contemporary Art Museum - CAMec

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FROM REBOCCO TO SANT’ANNAPartendo da via Monfalcone, si prende la scalinata Maggiola, poi via Maggiano per Toracca Inferiore e ancora su fi no a Toracca Superiore. A sinistra inizia via Sant’Anna che porta al borgo di Sant’Anna e la sua chiesetta. Si percorre a ritroso la stessa strada fi no a raggiungere la scalinata Maggia-no per ritrovarsi in via Monfalcone a Rebocco.

FROM BUGGI TO MADONNA DELL’OLMO Leave from Viale Fieschi up to Buggi, and just beyond turn left to take the Sant’Anna bridlepath which rises as far as Fabiano Alto. The way to the Ma-donna dell’Olmo starts from the square in front of the Sant’Andrea church. Cross the road and after a short stretch of surfaced road, a paved footpath rises, keeping right you arrive at the Madonna dell’Olmo Sanctuary where the views are spectacular. Going back, take the same route as far as Fabiano Alto, then take the downward path along Via Scresa to get to Fabiano Basso.

FROM SAN VENERIO CHURCH TO SAN VENERIO Start from Via della Pieve then turn right into Via della Lobbia (part road and part footpath) and go up as far as Carozzo. Follow the footpath that runs alongside the road to the district of San Venerio. Carry on past the houses towards Ca’ de Corna where, on the right you fi nd steps to Castel-vecchio, these take you back to the San Venerio church.

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FabianoAlto La Lizza

Madonna dell’Olmo

Pegazzano

Rebocco

S. Anna

ToraccaSup.

Chiappa

Foce

Marinasco

Stra

Scorza Valdellora

MigliarinaSarbia

Coste

S. LuciaGuarsedo

ToraccaInf.

FabianoBasso

Buggi

Carozzo

Proffiano

Vailunga

Biassa - Cinque Terre

Montepertico

Viale

Italia

Via Carducci

Viale Amendola

Viale

Fiesc

hi

Via Monfalcone

Via Fiume

Scalinate

Via Genova

Via del Canaletto

Porto Venere

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Footpathson the green hillsides

around the town We have said that La Spezia is to be seen on foot. Now let’s look be-yond the urban centre to the narrow dividing line between town and country, where we can climb along a choice of numerous footpaths on to the hillsides. Up, up, up, catching spectacular glimpses of seascapes, landscapes and even mountains.

FROM PEGAZZANO TO BIASSA From suburban Pegazzano, following the route that leads to the historical centre of Biassa, it is possibile to reach the area of Tramonti, part of the Cinque Terre National Park.

VALDELLORA - SARBIA From Valdellora, on the outskirts, the route goes back uphill to the historical village of Sarbia, with a panoramic view of the Gulf.

VAILUNGA - MONTEPERTICO At the back of the town, from the neighbourhood of Vailunga the road leads to the hill area of Montepertico.

EXCURSION - PITELLIThe hillside area of Pitelli, as far back as 1900s there were for many of this area a direct path to the sea; today the itinerary winds among the woods with panoramic views of the Gulf, climbing to Monte Canarbino the fort which dates back to 19th century descends quite nicely to Lerici.

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S. Venerio

Pieve di S. Venerio

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Lerici

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Pitelli

ALTA VIA OF THE GULFThis network of paths connect Bocca di Magra (Ameglia) to Porto Venere; itineraries can vary, venturing along the hillsi-des which crisscrosses the Gulf of La Spezia, through villages, woods, protected areas all in a territory engulfed with artistic history and environment.

FROM LA CHIAPPA TO MARINASCO PARISH CHURCH Leave from via Genova (n° 368), where a footpath goes to the bridlepath of Via Salto del Gatto as far as Guarsedo. The path keeps rising and passes near the small church of Santa Lucia and then turning left reaches Via Costa di Santa Lucia (an ancient medieval track). Cross Via Montalbano to Coste (nearby the monastery of S. Maria del Mare). From Coste a footpath goes down to Stra. Go along Via Montalbano towards the Foce and join the footpath that leads to the ancient S. Stefano church of Marinasco. The descent continues along Via Guercia as far as via Bedicenti and back to Via Genova.

FROM MARINASCO TO SANT’ANNA From the Marinasco Church along Via Montalbano as far as the Foce. Cross the Via Aurelia and take Via Parodi to Sant’Anna.

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43 View of La Spezia from Marinasco44 Stair way to “Salto del Gatto”

45 Glance at Tramonti - from Palmaria and Tino Island Side46 Romanesque Church of San Venerio

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Along the journey from Chiappa to Salto del Gatto one arrives at the church of Mari-nasco, an important building decorated with gothic reliefs, from the square one can see the Tuscany Region. Once at the footfall of the Foce, poised between the sea of the Gulf and the woods of the Vara Valley, one can reach Sant’Anna and back to the city near the Toracche, an interesting fortifi ed shelter with late medieval founda-tions. Then again Maggiano which is on a hillock injects into La Spezia.On the east facing slope you can go up Via della Lobbia starting from the roma-nesque double apsed San Venerio church. Pass alongside villa Da Passano to reach Carozzo and from here to the district of San Venerio.The Cinque Terre offers other choices of footpaths in the Gulf and a part of the Na-tional Park, the area around Tramonti, is within the La Spezia town council. To reach the Cinque Terre, one must follow the footpaths that go from Biassa down to Fossola where there is a tiny church dedicated to the Guardian Angel (Angelo Custode).From here, as one looks out to distant horizons on the sea, a footpath can be glim-psed linking Monasteroli and Schiara and up to Campiglia.

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The culinary arts in La Spezia bring together the fruits of the land and sea, in a surprising but tasty way, anchovies and potatoes, or cuttle fi sh and fresh greens for example. The sea might offer fresh Mediterranean fi sh, sea bass octopus and mussels, and salted cod can be prepared in crispy batter or in a scrumptious sauce (stoccafi sso). Just as mouthwatering are the dishes from the countryside and the hillsides, such as ho-memade herb tarts and ravioli. The olive oil is of course excel-lent in these parts and adds a fi nishing touch to a tasty bowl of “mesc-ciua” a local soup made with chick peas and spelt (a type of wheat). Walking through the town centre, whiffs of this soup and “farinata” waft past to whet our appetites for a taste of these specialities made in La Spezia.

Salvatore Marchese

47 “Mesc-ciua”48 Fish Soup49 Chick-pea Flour Pie

50 Fresh Fish of the Gulf51 Mussels - from the Gulf52 Saffron - Campiglia

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San Venerio, the courageus hermit lived his life fearlessly on the open sea. The coastline of the Gulf has carved its way around the bay, leaving sheer rocky drops, interspersed with inlets and coves. Waves lap harshly around the islands while inland, fl ourishing fl ora thrives inspite of inaccessible coastlines. In early medieval times, following the saint, the stony islands of Tino and Tinetto became religious settle-ments, and there had also been Christian proclamation in Porto Venere since the times of Gregorio Magno in the 6th century. The west coast is rocky and less populated than across the bay, where Lerici and its pisano-genoese cast-le are linked with noble Sarzana, the Val di Magra and the coast. The gulf embraces the islands of Porto Venere and stretches on the opposite side to the rocky, purple streaked Punta Bianca: at the centre of this embrace lies La Spezia.

53 Amerigo Vespucci Tall Ship near Scola Tower54 View of Tino Island from Palmaria Island

55 Panoramic View of Gulf

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The Gulf and the open sea

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TRADITIONAL & RELIGIOUS EVENTS:San Giuseppe, Patron Saint of the city (March 19th)

From Square to Square (April)

Liguria da Bere (end of June)

Jazz International Festival (July)

Palio del Golfo (1st Sunday in August)

San Venerio, Patron Saint of the Gulf (September 13)

La Fattoria in città (last Sunday of November)

Cercantico, antique fair (1st Sunday of every month exceptfor July and August)

Festa della Marineria (June 2011 - biennial)

EVENTS/MANIFESTAZIONI ONLINEwww.turismoprovincia.laspezia.it

56 “Liguria da Bere” Festival57 San Venerio Procession58 The Farm in the City

59 Feast of Saint Joseph 60 Boat Race in the Gulf

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USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS - LA SPEZIA Town Hall P.zza Europa, 1 tel 0187 7271City Council Tourism Service Via Fiume, 207 tel 0187 745627Beghi Civic Library Trasversale Via del Popolo, 61 tel 0187 513295U. Castagna I.T. Library Via del Popolo, 61 tel 0187 599354Mazzini Civic Library C.so Cavour, 251 tel 0187 738279University Via dei Colli, 90 tel 0187 751265Civic Theatre P.zza Mentana tel 0187 757075Amedeo Lia Civic Museum Via del Prione, 234 tel 0187 731100Art Gallery - Seal Museum Via del Prione, 236 tel 0187 778544CAMEC (Modern and Contemporary Art Centre) P.zza C. Battisti, 1 tel 0187 734593S. George Castle (Archaeological Museum U. Formentini) Via XXVII Marzo tel 0187 751142Diocesan Museum and Museum of Ethnographyc Via del Prione, 156 tel 0187 258570“G. Podenzana”Naval Museum V.le Amendola, 1 tel 0187 783016Transport Museum Via Fossitermi, 1 tel 313 8043639 - 335 5451474Boat trip Agency Via Don Minzoni, 13 tel 0187 732987Harbour Offi ces V.le Italia, 4 tel 0187 258101Transport Agency A.T.C. P.zza Chiodo, 7 tel 800 322 322Train Station P.le Medaglie D’Oro tel 0187 892121Public Swimming Pool Via Monfalcone, 4 tel 0187 702066Sports Centre Via della Pianta tel 0187 510869 tel/Fax 0187 564238Local Health Centre Via XXIV Maggio, 139 tel 0187 5331City Police Via Lamarmora, 17 tel 0187 7261Carabinieri Via Generale dalla Chiesa, 1 tel 0187 5911Welfare Assistance Via Carducci tel 0187 564001Post Offi ce P.zza Verdi tel 0187 258431Taxi - Radio Taxi tel 0187 523523Youth and Multimedia Cultural Centre - D. Ruggiero Via Monteverdi, 117 (Fossitermi) tel 0187 713264Youth Hostel “Tramonti” Via F. Filzi, 110 (Biassa) tel 0187 758507Campervan Parking Area Loc. Pagliari tel 331 7233910

100% Ecological Paper

La Spezia Province - Tourism Service · Viale Mazzini 47 - Tel. 0187 7421 · Fax 0187 770908www.provincia.sp.it - turiprov@provincia.sp.it

Local Touristic System CinqueTerre & Riviera Spezzinac/o Township Via Telemaco Signorini, 11819017 Riomaggiorewww.stl5terre.it - info@stl5terre.it

Local Touristic System Golfo dei Poeti, Val di Magra e Val di VaraTel. 0187 733525 - 0187 763253 - Fax 0187 733525www.stl.sp.it - info@stl.sp.it

IAT - TOURISTIC INFORMATION& RECEPTION OFFICE& LOCAL TOURIST OFFICES

LA SPEZIAViale Italia, 5Tel. 0187 770900Fax 0187 023945· iat_spezia@provincia.sp.it

c/o Railway Station P.le Medaglie D’OroTel. 0187 718997 · Fax 0187 023945

Brugnatoc/o Highway entrance areaTel. 0187 896526Fax 0187 896944

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Connections by Land/Sea/Air Connections by road: Motorway A12 - Genova-Livorno; Motorway A15 - La Spezia-Parma; S.S. n. 1 Aurelia; S.S. n. 62 del Passo della Cisa; S.S. n. 63 del Passo del Cerreto; S.S. n. 331 - S.S. n. 330 - S.S n. 530 - S.S. n. 370.Connections by rail: Trains for all destinations leave from the Central Station La SpeziaConnections by air: International Airport “C. Colombo” - Genova - Tel. 010/60151 - Km 100International Airport “G. Galilei” - Pisa - Tel. 050/849300 - Km 90Airclub Luni Via Alta Vecchia S. Lazzaro Sarzana - Tel. 0187/673180 - Km 18Bus services: Services throughout the province excluding the Cinque Terre and Riviera apart from Volastra (Riomaggiore), Azienda Trasporti Consortile (A.T.C.) - Information: everyday (holydays included) from 07.00 am to 07.30 pm toll free number 800 322 322; from 05.15 am to 07.00 am and from 07.30 pm to 02.00 am Tel. 0187 522511 - Services for Toscana - Emilia - Trentino: (January/March-July/August) - Lorenzini S.r.l. - Via Larga, 105 - Ortonovo - Tel. 66804Connections by sea: Golfo della Spezia - Cinque Terre - Tigullio - VersiliaCONSORZIO MARITTIMO TURISTICO 5 TERRE GOLFO DEI POETI Via Don Minzoni, 13 - 19121 · La Spezia - Tel. 0187 732987 Fax 0187 730336 www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti.it

RAPALLO - GENOVA

MAGRA

PARM

A

A12

VARA

LASP

EZ

IA

A15

LA S

PEZIA

MAG

RA

AUTO

STRADA A12

GE

NO

VA - LIVO

RN

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TORINO MILANOGENOVA - SAVONA

MILANO BOLOGNAPARMA

CEPARANA

S. STEFANO M.

SS N° 3

30

SS N° 1

SS N° 331

SS N° 1

LA S

PE

ZIA

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EN

OVA

BIASSACINQUETERRELEVANTORIOMAGGIORE

SS N° 370

SS N° 530

PORTOVENERE

SS

N° 1

SS N° 331

LERICI

SARZANA

SS

N° 62

BOCCADI MAGRA

CARRARALUCCAPISA

FIRENZEVERSILIAROMA

LA SPEZIA - ROMA

LA SPEZIA

A15A12

A12

BOLOGNA

VENEZIA

PISA

GENOVA

MILANO

FIRENZE

ROMA

PARMA

LA SPEZIA

L I G U R I A

Publication realized by:Provincia della Spezia Servizio TurismoService direction: dr. Marco Casarino, Dirigente del ServizioEditorial coordination:dr. Sabrina Cipriani, Responsabile UnitàOrganizzativa Promozione/EditoriaCollaboration: Antonio Protopapa (Editoria), Susan-na Cuccureddu, Concetta La Placa (Amministrazione)Viale Mazzini 47 - 19121 La Spezia - Tel. 0187 7421 Fax 0187 770908www.provincia.sp.it - turiprov@provincia.sp.itText: Andrea Marmori & Salvatore MarcheseIconographic research and page layout: B&B Grafi ca Digitale S.r.l.Photographs: Archivio Regione Liguria,Archivio Fotografi co della Provincia della Spezia

Archives - Diocesan Cultural EstatesArchives – Province of La Spezia - PhotosOther Photographs: Walter Bilotta, Sergio Fregoso, Claudia Galli, Dina Nobili, Davide Palummo, Enrico Amici, Federigo Salvadori, Angelo Barberis, Davide MarcesiniExtended Thank you: Alda Betucchi & Silvia CavalliniEdition 2010 · © Provincia della SpeziaOffset and photo printing:www.bebgrafi cadigitale.itPrinting: La Zincografi ca Fiorentina (FI)

Traslated by: Catherine Bonanini

Cover photograph:Promenade MorinBack cover:Amerigo Vespucci Tall Ship in the Gulf of Poets

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Provincia La Spezia Turismo (Group)