The city
La Spezia is located between Genoa and Pisa, on a natural gulf at the southern end of the mountainous Ligurian coast. It is an important merchant port, including the military arsenal in an important Italian naval base, a naval museum and numerous shipyards. The Gulf of La Spezia (named Gulf of the Poets in homage to two English romantics: Percy Shelley, who lived in La Spezia and died at sea, and his friend Lord Byron, who swam from Portovenere to San Terenzo in 1822) and the nearby coastal area are of great tourist interest with the Cinque Terre, five villages declared World Heritage Sites by Unesco
The city’s pedestrian centre stretches from the central Piazza Verdi, along the arcades of Via Chiodo leading to two long parallel streets lined with numerous shops of all kinds, Corso Cavour and Via del Prione. Also worth seeing are the Morin promenade, which overlooks the sea, and Porto Mirabello. The historic Piazza Verdi has recently undergone heavy architectural renovation that has changed not only its aesthetic aspects but also its everyday life. The square is surrounded by buildings dating back to the late 19th century, some of which are public schools and others post offices. The redevelopment of the square was based on a project that was praised by many but also criticised by others.
Via Chiodo, characterised by wide arches under which some of the city’s shops are located, connects Piazza Verdi with the area in front of the Military Arsenal and the beginning of the two longest pedestrian streets.
Via del Prione, the narrower of the two parallel pedestrian streets, runs from the Giardini Pubblici to the Central Station. In addition to numerous shops, along this street are the Teatro Civico, the Lia Museum, the Ethnographic Museum and the Seal Museum. It is the city’s unique street, characterised by numerous shops, restaurants and bars open on both sides of the street.
Corso Cavour has only become pedestrianised in recent years and runs from the public gardens to the distant Viale Aldo Ferrari, passing through Piazza del Mercato, where the traditional public market is held every morning from Monday to Saturday.
The Passeggiata Morin is a large pedestrian area bordered by palm trees, bushes and flowers, making it a beautiful experience even in winter. The promenade runs along the side of the harbour and offers a view of the sea and the Apuan Alps (a nearby mountain range), whose white peaks are visible in the distance. In the stretch of water in front of the harbour, on the first Sunday in August, the traditional and exciting festival of the sea, the Palio del Golfo, takes place: a race involving 13 maritime cities in a thrilling rowing competition. Along the Passeggiata Morin ferries depart for Portovenere, the island of Palmaria and the Cinque Terre. On the opposite side, Molo Italia is the natural mooring for fishing boats and ends with a small, now disused lighthouse. At the intersection of the Passeggiata Morin and the Molo Italia, beyond Viale Italia, you will find Piazza Europa, overlooked by the Cathedral of Cristo Re, a beautiful cathedral with an unusual circular shape.
At the end of Viale Italia, at the western end of the basin adjacent to the Arsenal, you find Porto Mirabello: a modern harbour inaugurated in 2010 and quickly becoming the focal point for super yachts and occasional sports cars. It offers 407 berths for yachts from 12 metres, including 100 super yachts from 40 to 130 metres. There are also restaurants, bars and an outdoor swimming pool. It is connected to the Morin promenade via the superb 156-metre-long Tahon Revel movable bridge. Definitely worth a visit!
Shopping center “Le Terrazze”
Those who love shopping centres should not miss the Le Terrazze shopping centre, with its entrance at Via Fontevivo 17, a modern shopping centre opened in March 2012 and characterised by an architectural design inspired by the colours of La Spezia’s coastline. The architectural solutions are in line with the natural context: from the colours (ochre, green, brown) to the name itself, the shopping centre is strongly linked to the territory in which it is located. The Ligurian countryside is distinguished by its ‘terraces’, or hills cut and shaped into large terraces to create a flat surface on which to cultivate vines, hence the name of the Le Terrazze shopping centre. Le Terrazze is the largest shopping centre in the province of La Spezia and houses 102 commercial units including a large supermarket and 16 restaurants and bars, a Fitness Club with an indoor swimming pool and a free covered car park with 2,000 spaces.