Approaching from the sea, the first thing a visitor sees is a rocky outcropping crowned by the Church of San Pietro.
The church has been destroyed and rebuilt many times over its 2000-year history, and its Gothic presence is a true symbol of this village. Portovenere has been inhabited as far back as Roman times, and in fact the spot now occupied by the church was once the site of a pagan temple dedicated to Venus.

Legend has it that St. Peter landed in Portovenere when he came to Italy, and after he celebrated the Holy Mass, a part of the promontory with the temple sank into the sea.

But San Pietro is not the only attraction: Overlooking the town is a forbidding castle dating back to the 1500s, a reminder of the days when Portovenere and its surrounding area was in Genoese hands. It served as a fortress until 1400, when the invading Aragonese sacked the city.

Today Porto Venere is beloved by tourists from around the world, who are beguiled by its simple but evocative countryside, its multicoloured stone houses overlooking the harbor, and its romantic winding alleys.


Not to be missed is the Church of San Lorenzo, also built in the Gothic style, where even the briefest visit offers an ethereal experience.




Right across the water from Porto Venere is the Island of Palmaria, which can be reached by ferry from La Spezia and Lerici, or directly from Porto Venere itself