{"id":32069,"date":"2021-09-23T22:19:20","date_gmt":"2021-09-23T20:19:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bellitalie.org\/?post_type=destination&p=32069"},"modified":"2026-09-30T10:23:06","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T08:23:06","slug":"portovenere","status":"publish","type":"destination","link":"https:\/\/www.bellitalie.org\/en\/destination\/liguria\/portovenere\/","title":{"rendered":"Portovenere"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Near La Spezia, at the western tip of the Gulf of La Spezia, Portovenere<\/strong> is a small fishing town with plenty of charm that has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Its seafront and small harbour are lined by the ” Palazzata a Mare “, rows of tall pastel-coloured houses, typical of the Ligurian coast, clinging to the rock at the foot of the hill dominated by the austere Doria Castle.
In the historic centre you can discover other medieval buildings, such as the former church of San Lorenzo, and at the very end of the small peninsula, on a small rocky promontory, stands the spectacular church of San Pietro. Near it is the Grotta di Lord Byron.
Directly opposite, the island of Palmaria emerges from the waters, a vast nature park, with beaches, nature to explore and sea caves.<\/p>\n

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Traces of settlement at Portovenere date back to the 6th century BCE, and it is mentioned in historical sources since the 2nd century CE as Portus Veneris. This name would come from an ancient temple dedicated to the goddess Venus (Venere in Italian) that is said to have occupied the site of the present church of Saint Peter.
The old village was destroyed during an Aragonese assault in the 15th century; it occupied the space \u2013 still clear today \u2013 between the new village and the church of Saint Peter. Just under 3,500 inhabitants lived there in 2021.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

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\"Photo<\/a>
The Gulf of Poets with Portovenere<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Photo<\/a>
The harbour and the castle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"San<\/a>
Church of Saint Peter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n

Heritage and sightseeing<\/h2>\n