SARZANA

This name appears for the first time in 963, when the bishop of Luni came into possession of the “Castrum Sarzanae”, located where the Sarzanello Fortress stands. Thanks to its strategic location it probably served as a viewpoint to control the important road of the valley line. Being at the intersection among three roads, Aurelia, Cisa and the one leading to Luni it became the bishop’s seat in 1204. Even the old town centre, dates back to 1000, the walls and the two fortresses in Sarzana and Sarzanello are well worth a visit.

LERICI

Its origins are lost in antiquity. Certainly it was a landing place for Greeks and Phoenician. Romans and Ligurians competing to get its control and later it was conquered and used for trade and military purposes.
There is still a Roman road to walk linking Lerici to Tellaro and passing through a path with olive trees and other plant of the maquis that reaches several.

TELLARO

his small village stands secured on the peak of the rocks typifying the Gulf of La Spezia. It was built as a stronghold against the invasions of the pirates that overran that part of the sea around 1600.
Legend has it that one night, while all the people in the village were sleeping the Saracen pirates led by Galla D’Arenzano, tried to vanquish the inhabitants of Tellaro.
However they were waken by the rings of the church bell-tower standing near the cliff and they could drive out the invaders.
During the battle the inhabitants of Tellaro sighted a big octopus that was come out of the sea and was playing the bell thus saving the village. Since then the octopus at the foot of the bell-tower represents the close relation between the village and the sea.

PORTOVENERE

The signs of its existence as harbour centre trace it back to the Roman age. During the barbarian invasions, Portovenere was the basis of the Byzantine fleet against Longobards and this is the reason why it was attacked and partially destroyed by King Rotari.
A great monastic movements helped it to revive by building monasteries even in the near islands: Tino and Tinetto. Between 1118 and 1130 Genoeses built the collegiate church dedicated to S. Lorenz that became the official church of the colony. The wonderful church dedicated to St. Peter and located on the sheer drop down to the sea was completed in 1277.

CARRARA

Strobone, Tacito and Dante Alighieri celebrated it. It is “mounted” between the sea and the Alps. Its bond with the extraction and processing of marble is dated back to the Roman age. Carrara is one of the most ancient Italian towns with a very interesting old town centre that changed in the course of time.

LUNI

It was founded in 177 B.C. by Romans, who used it as Roman outpost against Ligurian inhabitants of the Apuane Alps. It became then a very important trading port for wood, goods in general and especially marble from the near Apuane Alps. It became bishop’s seat until 642 when Longobards invaded this village. The Roman digs and the amphitheatre are well worth a visit.