Portovenere

Peaceful Portovenere

If there was a sixth village of the Cinque Terre (the Five Lands), Portovenere would be it.

Portovenere is a wonderful seaside village with amazing churches and a wonderfully walled castle that sits atop the village.

Portovenere is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and if you don't know what being a UNESCO site means, trust me when I say it means you need to visit Portovenere. You can learn more about the significance of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Italy here.

Suggested Stay:

A full day trip or two.

Getting To Portovenere:

We arrived to Portovenere via boat from nearby neighbor Monterosso. Arriving from sea will treat you to an amazing view of the village and its peninsula.

Must See & Do:

San Pietro ~
On Porto-
venere's peninsula, you'll find this beautifully quaint church on the site of a temple built for Venus ("Venere" in Italian).

S. Pietro dates back to the 5th century and if you arrive by boat, you can't miss it as it sits on the outermost tip where land and sea unite. Once inside, you'll be treated to an amazingly decked-out church sporting alternating black and white stripes of marble.

Looking out
from the church's Roman-
esque loggia or any of its windows you'll discover amazing views of the Ligurian Sea.

Magically, life seems perfect here.

San Lorenzo ~ While standing in front of S. Lorenzo, I looked down and found some silver heart-shaped confetti on the ground. Just like the beautiful roses that I found gracing S. Pietro, I knew the confetti celebrated the beginning of a young couple's "official" life together.

With an origin of 1118 and consecration in 1130, inside S. Lorenzo you'll find a triptych which dates back to the 15th century and a small painting of the White Madonna which is celebrated each August 17 with a torchlight procession.

Stop by and enjoy the amazing views of Portovenere from the spirited S. Lorenzo. You're in Italy!

Castello Doria ~ The unique walls of the Doria Castle are old and the views amazing. The castle is praised for its military Genoese architecture and the recently built amphitheater hosts theater, ballet and musical events.

Built by the Genoese between the 12th and 17th centuries, you'll find time has indeed stood still here. Spectaculars of sun and seaside sounds will treat your senses to magnificent peace and views to thrill.


Want more Portovenere? ~ Enjoy some stunning photos or Portovenere at my Flickr photo stream.

Our Next Stop:

With the hopes of finding folks on their terrace flinging free prosciutto di Parma (Parma ham) to passersby near and far, we head over to Parma.

for the love of : italy