Portovenere is situated at the southern end of a peninsula. It consists of some islands and the former fishing village itself. Close by there is a larger town called La Spezia. Nonetheless, Portovenere seems remote, and you don’t really notice to be in the vicinity of a reasonably substantial metropole. The town is famous for visitors staying a couple of hours but also for guests spending their entire vacation right here.
Riomaggiore, one of the five towns commonly known collectively as Cinque Terre, is a lovely place. Indeed, you can see the whole city in a few hours; there is the main street with all the shops and restaurants, but there are also lovely walkways in the north and south of the center with a beautiful church and changing perspectives at the port and at the sea. Sure, you can stay an hour or two, but Riomaggiore offers enough to stay one weekend or even longer. In any case, Take it slow and enjoy it the Italian way! There must be some time for wine and pasta in between, that’s for sure.
Being in Cinque Terre you cannot stop to marvel at the beauty of nature in this particular spot on our planet. There is the deep blue sea, the endless hills with steep cliffs, and the green forest and endless vineyards. In between, there are little humans running around, seeming all but insignificant in the larger scheme of things. The power of nature can be genuinely felt here.
Genova is undoubtedly an exciting city. It has a long and troubled history, once being an independent republic similar to Venice and dominating the Mediterranean Sea, it later sunk almost into obscurity and reemerged after WWII with many people all over Italy coming to the Genova for work in the growing shipment industry. In the 50s and 60s, the city seemed to grow without a grand plan, and being on a narrow strip of flat land, it soon grew up the hills, today making it a labyrinth of smaller lanes and more significant streets on many different levels. A unique city indeed.
Portovenere (sometimes Porto Venere) is old, very old. Most probably, it was founded in the middle of the 1st century BC. Initially, the town was called Port of Venus, after the beloved goddess Venus. We assume that on the spot where the church of Peter the Apostle can be found today (last picture), there was originally a temple, which would make sense because the position is elevated and can be seen well from the sea. Also, very often known places of worship 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.
Riomaggiore is known to be the southernmost village of Cinque Terre. It was founded in the early 13th century and lived off fishing and winemaking for centuries to come. Until today, vineyards have played an essential role in the economic life of the region, though tourism has become much more critical to the people living here. Though there are many tourists, especially in summertime, there are no grand hotels or beach clubs to be found. The architecture of the village remains essentially the same, and so does the feeling of pure Italy.
Michael Hoffman Photography 