La Spezia (Spèza in local dialect, pronounced Spèsa) is situated at the centre of the evocative Gulf of Poets. Thanks to its temperate climate, characterised by mild winters and summers, the city is the ideal destination all year long.
La Spezia is at the centre of a touristic route which goes from the Cinque Terre National Park, with its vineyards and the steep cliffs, to the quiet green valleys of the Vara Valley, from the Magra Valley and Sarzana to the typical sea towns of the Gulf, such as Lerici and Portovenere.
Originally founded in Roman times, La Spezia flourished during the Genoa rule (Fieschi, Genoa Republic, Napoleon I).
The city has developed as a touristic resort for the whole XIX century, when it used to host the holidays of the Italian royal
family and the Italian King himself.
Its structure has been modified during the construction of the Military Shipyard by Domenico Chiodo, in 1869, which led to the
development of the modern city of La Spezia.
The touristic development of the town has started during the 1990s, thanks to the creation of pedestrian zones the improvement of large town quarters and the development of tourism related services.
La Spezia streets, a few minutes from Residenza Viani, are characterised by the typical Liguria-style houses and the 20 th century art nuveau buildings
