When Napoleon arrived in the Gulf of La Spezia, he saw it as "the most beautiful port in the universe, its roadstead is superior to that of Toulon, and its defense is easy both on land and by sea". In fact, La Spezia remains Italy's largest naval base, as well as a major cargo port. In the Middle Ages, the town was just a small village, bought and fortified by the Fieschi family. The center was built around the Poggio hill and the main thoroughfare. From 1276 onwards, La Spezia came under Genoese influence, and remained loyal to the city, although Genoa turned more to its strategically more interesting neighbors Luni and Sarzana. From the 19th century onwards, thanks to the will of Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, a progressive politician, La Spezia underwent a veritable urban, industrial and military revolution with the construction of the arsenal. The city's rational urban structure, with long, shady avenues and perpendicular crosswalks, put an end to frequent epidemics. Between 1880 and 1890, the population doubled from 36,000 to 73,000. In the 1920s, the modern city continued to expand eastwards, in the Migliarina district. Today, La Spezia is undergoing an urban and cultural revival. Its immediate proximity to the Cinque Terre attracts thousands of tourists.

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Pictures and images La Spezia

Les fameux anchois de Ligurie. Estrella127 - Shutterstock.com
Focaccia. Adamache - iStockphoto
Paysage de La Spezia. faber1893 - Shutterstock.com
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