A bridge in the Ligurian Levante

At the end of a very troubled period and on the threshold of a new work experience, which we hope will bring much new life to our passion as travelers, we're setting off for a short spring vacation that will lead us to discover the Levante Ligure, from La Spezia to Genoa. We leave home a handful of minutes before 10:00, accompanied by a beautiful clear sky, so much so that it seems impossible to believe that, instead, in Liguria, today, there are so many clouds. We take the A14 at Faenza, then the A1 at Bologna, which we follow until after Parma, where we begin driving on the A15 Cisa highway. We climb toward the Apennine range, while on the horizon the notorious clouds begin to appear, growing thicker kilometer after kilometer, and once past the pass they also begin to let down an odious drizzle.

We thus come into view of La Spezia, a port city located in the center of the gulf of the same name, in which the numerous shipyards stand out, along with the intrusive shape of the Oto Melara plant. We head toward the center, made sleepy by the holiday hour and the rather inclement weather, then we follow the seafront westward to reach the hamlet of Marola, where, as planned, we park along the coastal road. It's no longer raining, but the sky remains gray above our heads. We have a packed lunch and then wait for bus 11P which from here will take us to the nearby town of Porto Venere, thus avoiding the age-old parking problems.

Porto Venere was, in the era of the Maritime Republics (in the 12th century), an important Genoese outpost against the bitter Pisan enemies, and since then it has preserved an interesting historic center, characterized by defensive ramparts and the medieval stamp of the village. We're confident about the evolution of the weather conditions, which the forecasts say will improve toward evening; in fact, when we arrive in Porto Venere a few timid rays of sun filter through. We enjoy the most classic of the village's typical views, with its parade of houses painted in the most varied pastel colors, creating a magical multicolored mosaic, and we stroll along the seafront, ascertaining the suspension (due to bad weather) of the boat service that leads to the discovery of the opposite Island of Palmaria.

Because of the rough sea we thus give up the visit to the imposing cliffs and the local Grotta Azzurra, and we set off on foot toward the tip of the rocky promontory located south of the town, where the beautiful Church of S. Pietro is found. The religious building stands right in the place where in antiquity the Temple of Venus stood, which gave its name to the site and its subsequent settlements, and it stands, with its Genoese Gothic style with bands (from the 12th century), on the foundations of a pre-existing early Christian basilica. From here the views are, at times, spectacular, despite the absence of the sun and the gloomy sky, especially from the adjacent Romanesque loggia, characterized by graceful arches that frame the nearby cliffs.

Returning toward the town, we then descend to the so-called Grotta Arpaia, a steep crevice dear to Lord Byron, then we climb, in the heart of the village, to the 13th-century Church of S. Lorenzo, and finally we reach the massive Doria Castle, an imposing 16th-17th-century stronghold that dominates the entire village. Without haste we take a walk on the patrol walkways, then we return toward the center to leave it definitively through its historic medieval gate. Not fully satisfied but still dry, we take bus 11P again which, shortly, brings us back to our car … and from here we immediately set off to reach, on the nearby heights, Villa Federici, a family-run establishment that will host us for this night.

We fret quite a bit, but in the end, welcomed by a kind lady, we find this big old house a bit decadent and for this reason beautiful and intriguing, with a wide view of the Gulf of La Spezia and a cozy apartment. We go out to dinner, on foot, at the nearby Osteria delle Spezie, eating well and spending the right amount, then we retire to our room, hoping for the weather's mercy tomorrow.

For today the forecasts say we'll be mostly kissed by the sun, but when we wake up at Villa Federici the Gulf of La Spezia is still immersed in almost absolute grayness. Confident nonetheless, we get ready to go and discover the famous Cinque Terre, one of the most beautiful and history-rich stretches of coastline in all of Italy, which have been a Unesco World Heritage site since 1998. We drive to the underground parking lot near the La Spezia train station, because it's precisely from there, with the help of the train and the Cinque Terre Card, that we'll set off toward these steep coasts and the characteristic villages scattered along them. The trains depart about every thirty minutes, and despite the hour being certainly not late, the tourists on the platforms are already really many.

We still manage to board the first available train, and after only ten minutes of travel we arrive at the station of Riomaggiore, the first town in the series, and there we get off to officially kick things off. Riomaggiore, whose original core dates back to the 13th century, is built at the mouth of the ancient Rivus Major, from which the village takes its name. By means of a pedestrian tunnel from the station we reach the center, characterized by a parade of pastel-painted houses along Via Colombo, and from there we arrive at the interesting Church of S. Giovanni Battista, with its neo-Gothic facade.

We then descend to the sea and the tiny little harbor to observe the village in its best-known view, with the houses crammed among the steep cliffs in a wonderful vertical landscape, while a little sun also comes out, making everything decidedly more beautiful! Gradually we return to the station and board the first train in transit, but, by choice, we don't stop at the next town; instead we arrive at the fifth and last in the series, which is Monterosso al Mare. The train stops, however, at the adjacent seaside station of Fegina, where at one time the Nobel laureate Eugenio Montale also stayed, and here we go to see, at its western end, the original but derelict statue of the Giant (or of Neptune), an imposing reinforced concrete structure located on a rocky spur overlooking the beach, built in 1910 and attached to the Villa Pastine above.

We then set off on foot toward the center, passing by the scenic Scoglio di Monterosso, surrounded by a beautiful crystal-clear sea, and we arrive at the original inhabited core, characterized by the typical constructions of this region. Here too there's a beautiful church dedicated to S. Giovanni Battista, preceded by a splendid Gothic facade with two-tone bands and surrounded by many evocative corners scattered along the narrow adjacent alleys. We have a packed lunch in the little square of Monterosso, facing the Ligurian Sea, finally kissed by the sun and cheered by a pleasant spring warmth, then we resume the itinerary and by train begin heading back toward La Spezia. After just a few minutes of travel, however, we stop at the station of the village of Vernazza and there we get off to visit it.

Vernazza, built at the mouth of the Vernazzola stream, thanks to its small port, the only one in the Cinque Terre, is one of the richest, but also most scenic, villages of this extraordinary stretch of coastline. As soon as we reach the center, we go to see the interesting Church of S. Margherita d'Antochia, but above all the sublime views of the town, crammed onto its promontory, savor-able from the steep path that winds along the coast, first westward and then eastward. Nearly exhausted from the endless series of steps and the steep climbs, we finally reach the Doria Castle, dating back to the 13th century, whose cylindrical tower dominates the entire village.

All very beautiful … except for the many, too many tourists (ourselves included) who fill every passage, so much so that at the end of the visit we crowd for a long time on the platforms before setting off again, and we also catch a comment from the stationmaster who on the phone complains to a colleague saying he's never seen anything like it. In the end, after almost an hour of waiting, we start rattling along again and, deliberately skipping the town of Corniglia (located a bit far from the sea and perhaps the least interesting in the series), we stop at that of Manarola, which instead is said to have a remarkable scenic impact.

From the station, through a pedestrian tunnel, we reach the center, and from there we venture along the coastal route that leads to Corniglia, so as to enjoy, after a few hundred meters, the stupendous panoramic view, with the village perched on an enormous rock sheer above the sea. From the other side of the town, however, the famous Via dell'Amore starts, a path that leads all the way to Riomaggiore, but which it's not possible to walk because it's closed due to landslides, after the severe weather events of 2012. It will reopen, they say, between 2018 and 2019. Now exhausted, we take the train one last time and with it we arrive at the La Spezia station when it has gotten a bit late and it's almost 18:00.

To wrap up the day, in fact, from La Spezia we still have to cover almost ninety kilometers of road … and to avoid arriving in the dark we're forced to skip the visit to the Basilica of S. Salvatore dei Fieschi, near the town of Chiavari. We thus arrive, shortly after 19:00, in the town of Bogliasco (about thirty kilometers from Genoa), where we take lodging at the Agriturismo Le Pale, located on the first heights and reachable also by means of a cable car, which greatly amuses little Leo. In the end we go out to dinner, on foot, in the center of Bogliasco (at the Just Peruzzi restaurant), concluding a beautiful day … even though, starting tomorrow, the weather seems set to act up again.

A stage of the itinerary dedicated, according to plans, to visiting the city of Genoa. In the morning, having left our room, big clouds gather just about everywhere, but we don't despair and confidently set off, after breakfast, toward the Ligurian capital, one of the main ports of the Mediterranean since Roman times. Shortly after 9:00 we thus arrive, right in the center, at the Antico Porto, to leave the car in the parking lot of the city's famous aquarium, which we then immediately set about exploring, with Leonardo who can't contain himself for the excitement (he was counting down, on the navigator, the kilometers remaining to the destination!). The Aquarium of Genoa, built on the occasion of the 1992 Columbus Expo, is the richest exhibition of aquatic biodiversity in Europe, hosting about 12,000 specimens of 600 different species, from seas and rivers all over the world.

We follow step by step the entire visiting route, observing, among other things, manatees, sharks, seals, penguins, and dolphins, as well as the colorful fish fauna of the coral reefs and the incredible jellyfish, but also the section dedicated to reptiles and rainforests. Exploring the aquarium takes up our entire morning, so we leave it at lunchtime and stop to eat at some food stands right in front of it, then we resume the itinerary. Strolling along the piers, with some glimpses in the distance of the Lanterna, the historic lighthouse symbol of the city of Genoa, we thus arrive at the Galata Museo del Mare, whose entrance ticket we purchased together with that of the aquarium.

The largest and most innovative museum in the Mediterranean has been set up on four floors of an enormous stone and glass building and documents for the visitor, with the help of realistic reconstructions, the centuries-old history of the relationship between man and the sea, from the first rowing boats to sailing ships and the epic of the great ocean explorations, but it's above all for the submarine Nazario Sauro, moored on the pier facing it, that we've come all this way. This submarine, operational for the Navy from 1976 to 2002, is now visitable in its most cramped recesses and is an opportunity to realize the difficult living conditions of its crew … all naturally much appreciated by the youngest of the family.

Having emerged from the submarine, with decidedly less enthusiasm on Leonardo's part, we then devote ourselves to visiting the historic center of Genoa, starting with the Royal Palace on Via Balbi, so called because, although built in the 17th century, it became in the 19th century the residence of the Savoys … Very beautiful are the court of honor, painted in bright colors, and the piano nobile, in which the lavish Gallery of Mirrors stands out. Strolling, we then arrive at the narrow but monumental Via Garibaldi, conceived in the 16th century by the architect Bernardino Cantone, who thought of it only as an exclusive residential street … Thus was born an incredible series of aristocratic palazzos, among which stands out the one that today houses the City Hall of the Ligurian capital.

Step by step we also reach the beautiful and wide Piazza De Ferrari, adorned in the center by a large fountain, which offers one of the best-known views of the city, and from there we go to the small but significant Piazza San Matteo, surrounded by characteristic 13th-century buildings with light-dark stripes, among which the house of Andrea Doria (a historic figure of the Republic of Genoa) and the church of the same name, which was somewhat the family temple of the Doria family. Retracing our steps to Piazza De Ferrari, we then approach the Church of the Gesù (or of SS. Ambrogio and Andrea), of ancient foundation, but redone starting in 1589 and with a very rich interior decoration. Right next to it stands out the white facade of the Doge's Palace, while in the distance you can see the shape of Porta di S.

Andrea, one of the most famous defensive ramparts of the city, dating back to the 12th century. Having also taken in the gate, nearby, we go to the Romanesque Church of S. Donato, which turns out to be the most precious testimony of its kind in the capital, then we return to the Doge's Palace and along the very central Via S. Lorenzo we reach the cathedral of the same name. The most important religious building in Genoa has fulfilled its role for over a thousand years and owes its predominantly Gothic appearance, with light-dark bands, to its 13th-century reconstruction. Its asymmetrical facade is truly beautiful and imposing, while the interiors, divided into three naves, are extremely intriguing, also enriched by the rich Chapel of S. Giovanni Battista. Once we leave the cathedral of S.

Lorenzo, the Ligurian capital can be said to be almost completely conquered, so, returning toward the Antico Porto, we also pass near the Palazzo S. Giorgio (the old Customs House, which tradition identifies as the prison of Marco Polo) and subsequently find our car again. Shortly after we leave Genoa, but the day isn't over yet, because there's time to make up for the visit missed yesterday evening. So we go near the town of Chiavari to also see the 13th-century Basilica of S. Salvatore dei Fieschi. The alternating bands of white marble and slate of the simple facade look out onto the delightful little square of an old village, surrounded by buildings of the same era, among which is also the Church of S. Salvatore, forming an architectural backdrop that is nothing short of harmonious and perfect.

With the long shadows of evening we then return to Bogliasco and the Agriturismo Le Pale, concluding another beautiful day, and later we go out to dinner in the town center at the Clipper restaurant (a bit pricey), then we return to our apartments, aware of the fact that for tomorrow the weather leaves us no escape.

As forecast … this morning it looks more like November than late April … and to think that according to plan we were supposed to set off by boat from Rapallo, first toward the scenic Abbey of S. Fruttuoso and then we were supposed to land in the famous town of Portofino, but the adverse weather and rough sea simply won't allow it … maybe another time! Shortly after 9:00 we thus leave Bogliasco and, having taken the highway, after about an hour we're in La Spezia, from where we then take the A15 toward Parma. Having crossed the Apennines, we come into view of the Po Valley and the A1 highway that leads us to Bologna, then the A14 directs us definitively toward home. At 12:25 we finally conclude (well ahead of time) the trip in front of our sweet home … a short trip, but full of ideas, which with the mild weather even for today would have been perfect.