The Surroundings

It is the most important center of the Italian marble industry, home to the famous Carrara Marble, a highly prized white marble extracted from the nearby Apuan Alps. Alongside Massa, it constituted the Duchy of Massa and Carrara between the 15th and 19th centuries. Among the city’s monuments are the 12th-century cathedral and the 16th-century Ducal Palace, now home to the Academy of Fine Arts.

It is the second most populous municipality in the province of La Spezia. The town is located just a few kilometers from the Ligurian Sea coast and the border with the Tuscany region. Its geographical location has made Sarzana a real borderland, a commercial crossroads where customs, traditions, and stories meet. Throughout the year, there are many cultural events; the most renowned in summer are: the “Festival della Mente” (Mind Festival) and “La Soffitta nella Strada” (The Attic in the Street).

It’s a historical medieval denomination that encompassed the entire Val di Magra, Val di Vara, Gulf of La Spezia, Cinque Terre, and Riviera Apuana. It takes its name from the ancient Roman colony of Luni, as evidenced by the stele statues. The main characteristic of the area is the large number of castles and picturesque villages. During the summer season, there are many medieval reenactments that take us back to the life of the past.

Lerici, defined as the Pearl of the Gulf by nineteenth-century poets, closes the Gulf of Poets in the easternmost part, near the estuary of the Magra River.

Used as a naval base in Roman times, it was an important port where travelers and pilgrims landed, passing through Sarzana to reach the Via Francigena. Lerici is composed of the old village that branches out into narrow streets around the Castle, now home to the Paleontological Museum, and the seaside promenade that leads to the beach of Venere Azzurra and the village of San Terenzo.

Portovenere is located in the westernmost part of the Gulf of La Spezia. The town is spread out on a rugged promontory with high cliffs and is complemented by three small islands: Palmaria, Tino, and Tinetto. It takes its name from a temple erected in honor of Venus Erycina, in Roman times, built on the promontory that closes the town, where now you can admire the Church of San Pietro in Genoese Gothic style (13th century).

Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso are five villages in eastern Liguria enclosed by two promontories with a unique landscape where man and nature form a complete harmony. In 1997, at the request of the province of La Spezia, the Cinque Terre, along with Portovenere and the islands of Palmaria, Tino, and Tinetto, were included among UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

In 1998, the Ministry of the Environment established the Cinque Terre Marine Protected Area for environmental protection, the conservation and enhancement of biological resources, and the dissemination and promotion of socio-economic development compatible with the area’s natural and landscape significance. In 1999, the Cinque Terre National Park was established for the conservation of ecological balances, landscape protection, and the safeguarding of the area’s anthropological values.

It’s an area in north-western Tuscany, within the province of Lucca. A famous meeting place for VIPs since the 1960s, it’s rich in narrow beaches nestled between the sea and shaded, cool pine forests. There are also period buildings in pure Liberty style just a stone’s throw from the most famous beach resorts, restaurants, typical local venues, and exclusive shops. A truly special place indeed.