Tour of Portovenere.
Portovenere is a small town near the Cinque Terre National Park. Its name, which literally means “Port of Venus” or “Sanctuary of Venus”, is in honour of the Roman goddess of love, whose temple was erected here in antiquity. The town comprises three small villages – Portovenere, Fezzano and Le Grazie – and three islands – Tino, Tinetto and Palmaria. The town has a population of just over 4,000.
Portovenere was originally owned by the Fezzano family, one of the three families that governed the region where the Cinque Terre Park is now located. The main inhabitants of the small village on the cape were fishermen; it was they who built the church dedicated to the Apostle Peter, the patron saint of fishermen. The church was built on the site of a ruined sanctuary of the goddess Venus, which once gave the area its name. In 1113 the Fezzano ceded the land to Genoa, and the Genoese turned the cape into a securely fortified walled town. Some of the medieval fortifications of the town have survived to this day. In 1997 the town, together with the Cinque Terre National Park, was recognised as a cultural heritage site and protected by UNESCO.
There are not too many sights in Portovenere, but they are certainly worth seeing. The main ones are St Lawrence Cathedral, St Peter’s Church and the Roman Gate.
Saint Lawrence Cathedral was built between 1116 and 1130, after which it was consecrated by Pope Innocent II himself. On the facade of the cathedral, above the entrance, is a bas-relief depicting St Lawrence himself. Inside the church you can see an ancient marble altar, an elaborate wooden crucifix, and an image of the White Madonna. It is Madonna Bianca who is the patron saint of Portovenere.
The Church of St Peter was built in the mid-13th century on the site of a black marble basilica built seven centuries earlier, also dedicated to the Apostle Peter. The church is built in the Genoese architectural style: black and white stripes decorating the facade, arched windows and balconies from which visitors can enjoy a marvellous view of the city. The building is divided into two parts connected by beautiful arches: one part is the church itself and the other is the bell tower.
The Roman gate leading to Via Capellini, one of the main streets of the city, was built in 1113. Next to it there is a tower built almost half a century later, in 1161.
After seeing the sights of the city, you can take a boat trip to admire the city from the sea, the beautiful islands of Palmaria, Tinetto and Tino, to see the famous caves of Adzurra and Arpaia, where the great English poet George Gordon Byron once loved to retreat. All this can be seen on the “Around the Three Islands” sightseeing tour, which lasts about 40 minutes.
