Travel Guide La Spezia

The coasts of La Spezia and Tigullio have managed to preserve their environmental heritage better than any other in Liguria. At the end of the 19th century, while the titanic construction of the military arsenal and the urban redevelopment of the city erased the medieval urban fabric of La Spezia, the rest of the maritime region maintained its natural appearance unchanged.When he arrived in the Gulf of La Spezia, Napoleon described 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, it's no coincidence that La Spezia remains Italy's largest naval base, as well as a major cargo port. In the Middle Ages, the town was no more than a small village. 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 neighbors Luni and Sarzana. It wasn't until the 19th century, under the impetus of progressive politician Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, that La Spezia underwent a veritable urban and industrial revolution, with the transfer of the Genoa-based navy to the port and the construction of the arsenal. The city retained a rational urban structure from this period, with long, shady avenues and perpendicular cross-roads (Umberto I district). This new urbanism put an end to the frequent epidemics that afflicted the city. 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. Not to mention its immediate proximity to the Cinque Terre, which attracts thousands of tourists.