Things to Do and See in La Spezia

The main tourist attraction in La Spezia is the Castle of San Giorgio, along with the adjacent Ubaldo Formentini Castle Museum, which has served as an archaeological museum since 1873 and houses a wealth of Roman and pre-Roman artifacts (from the Bronze and Iron Ages). Other recommended museums include the Seal Museum and the Amedeo Lia Civic Museum, which houses works by Titian and Bellini. Considered the largest of Italy’s naval museums and located near the Maritime Arsenal of La Spezia is the Naval Museum, which features an exceptional collection of figureheads, wooden decorations—often depicting female figures or animals—that adorned the bows of English ships from the 16th to the 19th centuries. As for religious architecture, notable sites include the Cathedral of La Spezia, dedicated to Christ the Redeemer, which houses the relics of Saint Venario and Itala Mela, and the Abbey Church of Santa Maria Assunta, rich in sacred art. In the rest of the province, the main attraction of the eastern Ligurian Riviera is undoubtedly the National Park of the Marine Protected Area; 18 km of rocky coastline overlooked by mountains running parallel to the shore, dotted with vineyards and olive groves, in whose coves lie the charming villages of Monterosso, Corniglia, Manarola, Vernazza, and Rio Maggiore—vibrantly colored villages connected not only by roads and rail lines but also by hiking trails offering pleasant excursions at various difficulty levels and by daily boat services.