Portovenere (sometimes Porto Venere) is old, very old. Most probably it was founded in the middle of the 1st century BC. Originally the town was called Port of Venus, named after the beloved goddess Venus. We assume that on the spot where the church of Peter the Apostle can be found today (last picture) originally there was a temple, which would make sense because the position is elevated and can be seen well form the sea. Also very often known places of worships were later reused by Christians, which also happened in this case. In Roman times the city was essentially a fishing community. Later the Byzantine fleet was situated here. Today it is a place visited by many people from all over the world.