Italy

Visiting Milan, Italy – Part II

There is so much to see in Milan, one post cannot cover it all. This post covers three churches that really are worth a visit (in addition to the Milan Cathedral), along with a couple other spots we enjoyed, shown at the end of the post.

Santa Maria delle Grazie – The Last Supper

This is a 15th century convent, and home of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper (known in Italian as Cenacolo), one of his most famous works of art and unfortunately one that has not stood up well to the test of time, due to the experimental technique Leonardo used – painting on dry plaster rather than wet. The fresco started deteriorating almost immediately. Also, the church was bombed in World War II but amazingly the wall with this painting survived intact – thank goodness.

Exterior of Santa Maria delle Grazie, home of the Last Supper.

The Last Supper painting by Leonard da Vinci, Milan, Italy

The Last Supper (1495-1498) painting covers an entire end of the convent’s refectory (dining) room. Leonardo’s use of perspective gives the painting depth, almost like the scene is a continuation of the refectory. Some bright person decided to cut a doorway into the lower part of the painting back in 1652.

The Last Supper, Leonardo da Vinci, Milan, Italy

A closer view of the Last Supper – Jesus’ apostles asking “is it I?” when he announces one of them will betray him.

The Crucifixion, Giovanni Donato, Milan, Italy.

At the other end of the refectory is another painting, entitled the Crucifixion by Giovanni Donato, 1495. It does not receive near the attention of the Last Supper, but is another amazing work of art.

Santa Maria delle Grazie Convent, Milan, Italy

Main chapel of the Santa Maria delle Grazie Convent (which does not require any reservation or fee).

It’s worth spending a few minutes wandering around the main chapel of the Santa Maria delle Grazie Convent, there are many other beautiful works of art here.

Note: You must have a reservation to see the Last Supper; we booked our tickets in March for a May trip. Reservations can only be made 60 days in advance, and a limited number of people are allowed to see the painting at one time (groups of 25 or so). The small group was great, because it did not feel crowded in the room, but you are only allowed 15 minutes in the refectory and then ushered out. The site to secure your tickets/reservations is here. The Convent is west of the Milan’s center, we took a metro train to the nearest stop and walked about 15 minutes to the Convent.

This statue of Leonardo da Vinci is just north of Milan’s main piazza and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. He was an artist, inventor, scientist, and so much more.

Sant’ Ambrogio (St. Ambrose)

This church is named after a 4th century bishop of Milan. I loved this old Church, which is a bit off the main tourist route. It’s ancient (the current 11th century structure is built on top of the original 4th century church), and houses a priceless 9th century altar decorated with gold, silver and precious stones.

Entrance to the 11th century Basilica Sant’ Ambrogio. There are Roman and Byzantine artifacts scattered around the covered porticos.

Altar, Basilica Sant' Ambrogio, Milan, Italy

The 9th century altar in the Basilica Sant’ Ambrogio, decorated with gold, silver, gems and pearls. In World War II, it was transported to the Vatican for safekeeping.

Sarcophagus, Basilica Sant' Ambrogio, Milan, Italy

Near the amazing altar, a 4th century marble sarcophagus sits underneath the pulpit in the Basilica Sant’ Ambrogio.

San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore

This monastery, which no longer serves as a church, is now a free art museum. The interior is stunning, and it would take weeks to absorb all the artwork.

Main chapel of San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore.

Hall of the Nuns, San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore

Close up of a painting of the story of Noah’s Ark, in the Hall of the Nuns, San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore.

Sforza Castle

With everything else we were doing in our short time in Milan, we did not take the time to visit the interior of this castle which is now a museum. It is massive, and impressive from the exterior.The castle is just two metro stops northwest of the main piazza.

Exterior of Sforza Castle, with a dry moat.

Interior courtyard of Sforza Castle.

Milan’s Canals

If you really want to get off the beaten track, check out Milan’s canals. I didn’t even know that Milan had canals, but we discovered these in our exploration of Milan. No tourists out here, and we found a great little shop with a variety of Arancini (or Arancina) that we had to sample!

A canal in Milan. The canals are south of the central piazza about a mile or perhaps 1.5 miles. We enjoyed the walk through the less touristy part of Milan.

A shop with a tasty variety of arancini, they are breaded, deep-fried rice balls filled with a variety of items – meat, sauce, ham, cheese, etc. This fun food is originally from Sicily.

Visiting Milan, Italy – Part I

Milan feels a world apart from the other areas of northern Italy I’ve described in my most recent posts. The mountains, lakes and small villages of northern Italy seem a far away place when one is in Milan. Milan is to Italy what New York is to the U.S. – a center of fashion, business and finance. For the tourist, there is a lot to see, and Milan is worth a day or two for the tourist, before or after visiting the surrounding lakes and mountains. Listed below are just a few sights, I will cover others including the renown Last Supper fresco in “Visiting Milan, Italy Part II”.

A good place to start your visit is in the heart of Milan, at the Piazza del Duomo, home of the huge Milan Duomo (Cathedral) and the predecessor of today’s shopping malls – the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

Duomo (Cathedral)

This is the #1 tourist sight in Milan. The cathedral is huge – 514 feet long, 301 ft across. Highly recommended is a visit to the roof – you can walk on the roof among the forest of spires, statues, and gargoyle figures with great views of the surrounding Piazza and cityscape–almost like being the hunchback of Notre Dame! I can’t imagine how all the weight of the marble stone work (and people!) has been successfully supported for over 6 centuries! As shown in the images below, there’s lots to see above, below and in the main cathedral, so plan a couple hours for your visit to the Duomo.

One of the many interesting figures on the roof of the Duomo.

The massiveness of the Duomo is felt as you wander through the archways and flying buttresses on the roof.

Getting up close and personal with the beautiful stone work on the roof of the Milan Duomo.

A view of the Piazza del Duomo from the roof of the Duomo, looking west. The entrance to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is to the right, under the short towers.

Exterior view of the Milan Cathedral – it’s so large that it’s hard to get a good perspective on this marvel of engineering and art.

Interior of the Milan Cathedral – 52 pillars support the weight of the roof and expansive ceiling. The stained glass, statues, carvings and huge space all contribute to a feeling of awe.

Another interior view of the Milan Duomo. As can be seen, the restoration and upkeep work (with netting and scaffolding) on this size of building is never done.

A statue of San Bartolomeo (the apostle Bartholomew) with his own skin draped around him (legend says that his martyrdom was the result of his being skinned alive).

Your visit to the Duomo includes a visit to the interesting Duomo museum, well worth the time for a wander through. Some of the relics here are from ancient churches that existed on this spot prior to the present cathedral.

Also in the Duomo Museum is a scale wooden model of the cathedral, used by the architects and engineers to build the actual cathedral. The model’s front facade is somewhat different from the final result.

Milan Cathedral Archeological museum, Italy

As is the case for many European cathedrals, the current Milan Duomo is built on top of earlier churches, and a visit below the current structure allows one to see excavations, such as this 4th century octagonal baptistry.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Located just a few steps from the Duomo, is perhaps the world’s first covered shopping mall – the Galleria Vittoria Emanuele II, this symbol of Milan dates back to 1865 (completed in 1878). The Galleria is named after Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of the united Kingdom of Italy (1861 – 1878). It has an expansive glass ceiling, mosaic floors and expensive shops and restaurants (and of course a McDonalds!), and the occasional model posing, since this is the fashion capital of Italy (if not the world!).

View of the interior of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II with its beautiful 19th century architecture and glass ceiling.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle II, Milan, Italy

A photo shoot in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, showing the mosaic floors along with this redhead model!

Street Scenes of Milan

Northeast of the Duomo is the where the high end shopping action is, and with the ‘guards’ at the store entrances, I didn’t even feel comfortable walking into the shops, plus in our travel clothes we felt a bit underdressed! The main ritzy shopping streets are Via Montenapoleone and Via Spiga. Bring your (fat) wallet and drive your McLaren up to the door and you’ll fit right in.

Drive this little McLaren 720 S around Milan and you can park where you want while you do your shopping!

One of the window displays on Via Montenapoleone.

Another window display along Via Montenapoleone.

This chocolate display looks very tasty!

For those of us with dreams but few Euros, you can be entertained by the street performers in Milan.

In my next post we’ll cover some other interesting sights in Milan, including Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper (Cenacolo).

Images of Lake Maggiore, Italy

Just west of Lake Como in northern Italy is another beautiful lake–Lake Maggiore, which is the 2nd largest body of fresh water in Italy. Perhaps less famous than Lake Como, Maggiore is still another gorgeous lake in this lovely region of Italy, which it shares with Switzerland. We spent just one night here, but could have spent a lot longer. We visited two towns on the west coast of Maggiore, Baveno (where we stayed) and Stresa, just south of Baveno. Stresa is a bit bigger town with several very fancy (and historic) hotels. Here are a few images from our visit.

Baveno

We stayed one night in Baveno, before going on to Lake Como. We enjoyed a splendid afternoon strolling along the promenade and enjoying the serene setting.

The town of Baveno, on the western coast of Lake Maggiore, at the widest point in the Lake. The ferry shown here takes you to nearby islands (discussed below) and the other side of the lake.

Another view of Baveno on Lake Maggiore. Does it get any prettier than this?

Locals enjoying the afternoon in Baveno.

Stresa

Stresa is a short drive south of Baveno, and has a bigger city feel than Baveno, even though it’s still a small town. More traffic, more shopping, more holiday villas and interesting history.

Isola Bella, home of the Borromeo family palace and gardens, dates back to 1630. One of three nearby islands (the others being Isola Pescatori and Isola Madre), Isola Bella sits a short distance off the shore from Stresa in Lake Maggiore. Passenger boats connect the islands with Stresa and Baveno.

Stresa is a bigger town than Baveno, with many streets and shops to explore.

The Grand Hotel des Lles Borromees, one of the elegant hotels lining Lake Maggiore in Stresa, dates from the 19th century when Stresa was on the “grand tour” circuit of Europe. This hotel, built in 1862, was the first hotel on the shore of Lake Maggiore and has had some famous guests. Ernest Hemingway stayed here, as did Winston Churchill on his honeymoon. This hotel (as did others in the area), served as an infirmary in World War I.

This old little church in Stresa was interesting to explore, with a baptistry right next door.

Inside the baptistry church at Stresa, with a gruesome painting of the beheading of John the Baptist.

Inside the Stresa Church.

If you find yourself in Milan and want to explore a little bit more of this stunning region of Italy, consider the beauty of Lake Maggiore, less than 60 miles away.

Lake Como – Bellagio and Varenna

If there is another spot on the planet that is as beautiful when the sun is shining as Lake Como in Italy, I’d like to know about it. This is pretty much my idea of heaven–a long, crystal blue lake with picturesque old Italian villages surrounding it and dramatic mountains as a backdrop. For the tourist, this is about as good as it gets. Lake Como is not far from Milan and therefore it’s popular summer weekend getaway spot for locals as well as a primary tourist destination.

Bellagio

Our base for two nights was Bellagio, at the northern tip of the peninsula that separates the lake into two fingers (the lake is shaped like an inverted “Y”).

The cute town of Bellagio, probably the main tourist destination on Lake Como and our home for a couple nights.

Evening street scene in Bellagio.

Interior of Bellagio’s 11th century San Giacomo Church.

Our apartment in Bellagio.

We arrived on a Sunday in June by car, and as to be expected on a beautiful Sunday, it was a nightmare finding a parking spot. Our apartment was in the heart of the old town (a pedestrian zone), so I had to find a spot at one of the few lots scattered around the loop road. After looping around the narrow peninsula 3 or 4 times, we found a parking spot that was within walking distance of our apartment.

We chose Bellagio because of its central location and it was a good one. We used the regular ferry system by obtaining a pedestrian day pass that took us to the towns on the west and east shores, it was perfect for the amount of time we had. Each crossing was about 20 minutes.

Example of a Lake Como ferry – this was a tiny one, most had open passenger decks that provided great views of the towns and lake scenery.

Varenna

Varenna is s short distance north of Bellagio and probably the 2nd busiest town in terms of tourists, and it’s easy to see why – a quaint village hugging a little point on the lake with views from all directions.

Arriving into Varenna.

Another view of Varenna, I love the colors captured in this image.

Varenna’s main town square. Just a block or two off the water and the scene quiets down dramatically!

Varenna’s Church of San Giorgio has some 14th -15th century frescoes near the main altar.

San Giorgio Church, Varenna, Lake Como, Italy

Interior of San Giorgio church in Varenna.

One could spend weeks exploring the coastline villages of Lake Como, but since our two weeks in Italy were coming to an end, this wasn’t a bad way to spend a couple final days in paradise.

This is a view of the town of Menaggio, on the west shoreline of Lake Como.

Lake Como is known for its extravagant villas and as being a home for the rich and famous. With the bustling fashion capital of Milan just 83 km (52 miles to the south), this area reeks of wealth.

The 18th century Villa Carlotta, on the western shore of Lake Como, just directly across from Bellagio. It is now a national property.

A view of Bellagio from Villa Carlotta.

The drive along the shore of Lake Como to Bellagio from Como on the south is beautiful, but the road is extremely narrow with no shoulder – even in a little car I was a bit nervous with the buses, trucks and other traffic, but we made it safely. Just take your time and be alert, and dream of what lies ahead!

Fénis Castle – A Highlight of the Aosta Valley

If you can’t visit all 72 castles (who could?) in the Aosta Valley of Italy then at least visit one–Fénis Castle. Dating back to the 12th century, Fénis is pretty much exactly what you’d expect from a medieval viscount stronghold, with crenellated walls, towers and frescoed rooms and courtyard in a dramatic setting in a valley surrounded by tall mountains.

Exterior view of Fénis Castle.

The inner courtyard of Fénis Castle. The frescoes date from the first quarter of the 15th century.

Another view of the inner courtyard.

The only way to visit the castle is to join a group tour offered at specific times throughout the day. Our tour was in Italian, but lucky for us the castle’s main rooms had explanatory information in English.

A dining room on the castle’s ground floor.

A room believed to be the kitchen on the ground floor.

The castle was built by the Challant family and much of the structure we see today is the result of additional construction work early in the 15th century.

A bedroom in the castle. The Challant’s living quarters were on the 1st floor (one floor up from the ground floor).

The 1st floor Great Hall, also frescoed.

15th century religious frescoes adorn the 1st floor chapel.

The castle was used as a hay barn, stables and granary in the 19th century until significant restoration started at the end of the 19th century and continued through the 1940’s.

A view of the inner walls of the Castle.

The corbelled dovecote tower on the castle’s western side.

Fénis Castle is about 15 km (9 miles) east of the town of Aosta. Don’t miss this great castle if you visit the magical Aosta Valley, one of Italy’s less visited regions.

The Town of Aosta – “Rome of the Alps”

Recently I’ve been sharing posts on the beautiful Aosta Valley in northern Italy. The town of Aosta is also quite lovely, sitting in a spectacular setting at the foot of the Alps. The town’s Roman ruins remind us of the importance of the route through the Alps and this valley in ancient times. The town was founded by the Salassian Gauls, whose lands covered the nearby Little and Great St. Bernard passes over the Alps. In 25 BCE Caesar Augusts (Octavian) defeated these Gauls and built up a grand city which became known as Aosta.

Arch of Augustus, erected in 25 BCE stands at the eastern edge of the old city (the roof was added in the 18th century).

The Porta Pretoria, near the Arch of Augustus, also dates back to 25 BCE.

The flagship sight in Aosta is the Roman Theater, with one tall exterior section of wall remaining. Medieval buildings once stood around the wall, and they were removed during restorations.

Roman Theater in Aosta, built sometime after 25 BCE. The wall is 65 ft. high.

Seating area inside the Roman Theater.

Another view of the area around the Theater.

Some of Aosta’s Roman ruins are underground. This is the cryptoporticus, which sits underneath the Forum (marketplace), now occupied by Aosta’s Cathedral. Its function is unknown – storage, shops, or something else?

There are numerous Roman, pre-medieval and medieval tombs and ruins underneath Aosta, and some are accessible through the churches built on top of these sites. You can buy a pass and map to direct you to the sites.

Part of a Roman chariot. Various interesting artifacts have been unearthed and are on display in the underground museums.

Aosta’s piazza (town square). The setting reminded us a bit of a Colorado ski town, nestled in the mountains.

Another street scene in Aosta.

Aosta makes a good base for exploring the Valley, we stayed in a small hotel just outside the city and enjoyed the quiet and scenic location.

We stayed at a little boutique hotel, La Bicoque, just north of the town of Aosta.

Aosta Valley – Visiting Savoia Castle

Savoia Castle is another wonderful sight in the Aosta Valley of Italy, it’s actually up a narrow side valley not far (33 km or 20 miles) from Bard Fortress. While this “modern” Italian castle does not have the ancient history of typical European castles, it evokes the past by having been built in the 15th century Lombard style. It’s worth seeing for its lovely interior, the mountain setting and to gain some insight into the personality of its builder, Queen Margherita.

An exterior side view of Savoia Castle.

This castle was the project of the queen of Italy (Queen Margherita, widow of King Umberto I) and completed in 1904. She could escape the summer heat of Rome here in this gorgeous setting at the foot of the Italian Alps.

Photo of Queen Margherita (1851-1926). She was a smart, powerful figure who dealt with tremendous political turmoil in Italy at the time. Her husband, King Umberto I, was assassinated in 1900. Legend has it that the margherita pizza is named after her!

The castle’s entry way leads to this beautiful staircase. Note the fine wood ceiling displaying the royal coat of arms (detail below).

A view of the castle’s first floor ceiling detail showing the coat of arms and other royal symbolism.

The outstanding woodwork and artwork of the railings, walls and ceiling above the staircase.

Billiard room in Savoia Castle.

Formal dining area of Savoia Castle. The preparation area is behind the wooden screens. The actual kitchens were separate from the main residence.

A reading alcove in Savoia Castle.

The Queen’s bedchamber in Savoia Castle.

The Queen’s bath. The castle had many conveniences not yet in wide use at the time (hot water, heating, electricity, plumbing).

The queen would spend her summers at the castle. She entertained guests here and even took them on sleigh rides in the winter in her unique sleigh.

The sleigh the queen used where riders would sit “side saddle” and could have a great conversation! There is a photo in the castle of her with guests on a mountain pass in the sleigh.

This photo shows the dramatic mountain scenery and setting of Savoia Castle. Queen Margherita knew how to choose a location!

To visit the castle you must take a guided tour and they are offered in English only at certain times. However, when we visited, we were the only guests (it was a very rainy day) and even though an English tour was not scheduled at the time, the very kind guide was able to give us a tour and did her best to explain things in English–we were most appreciative. Photos are allowed without flash. There are also Botanical Gardens on the castle grounds, but given the wet weather we did not take the time to visit them.

Aosta Valley – The Mighty Bard Fortress

One of the great attractions in the Aosta Valley, Italy (see my overview of Aosta Valley here) is Bard Fortress. Named for the lords of Bard, it is a massive, stern-looking fortress complex sitting atop of a rocky outcropping in the narrow Aosta Valley along side the Dora Baltea river. It demands attention as you drive by.

The Bard Fortress complex. You take a series of trams to the top, known as Opera Carlo Alberto Headquarters, which in its military capacity housed a church, hospital, barracks and storage rooms.

Taking a tram up to the fortress – it’s worth the ride just for the views.

The fortress is built right on top of the rock – it must have taken some effort to get the foundation secured!

This strategic spot has been a defensive outpost since the 5th century CE and Bard Fortress sits atop ruins of past castles. It was a perfect place to control traffic passing through the Valley from Switzerland or France into Italy. There have been numerous conflicts here over the centuries ranging from the Goths and Burgunds, to the Lombards and Franks trying to seize control of this route and territory.

The fortress commands an impressive view of the Aosta Valley, this view is looking north.

Control of the passes through the Alps was critical to protecting pilgrims working their way south to Rome and the passage of goods flowing from southern to northern Europe as well as marking geographic boundaries for numerous kingdoms.

Napoleon, who became Emperor of France and conqueror of most of Europe, laid siege to the Fort on the 19th of May, 1800. Four hundred soldiers at the fort held back his army of 40,000 for nearly two weeks.

Covered passageway in the fortress to move soldiers and goods from one level to the next.

It wasn’t until Napoleon was able to get a 12 inch cannon blasting away on the 29th of May that the fort finally was destroyed and the small defending force surrendered on June 1st, a few days later. The fortress was rebuilt in 1830.

Some of the prison cells located in Bard Fortress.

Thousands were imprisoned here at Bard Fortress in World War I. More recently it was used as a movie set in Marvel’s Avengers – Age of Ultron and the buildings now house exhibits, museums and music performances throughout the year.

A sign commemorating Bard Fortress as a movie set location.

Bard Medieval Village

As interesting as the Fortress is, the little medieval village (Bard village) nestled below it is fun to explore too – many of the buildings date back to the 14th century and have signs providing historical information.

A street in Bard Village.

An old stairway in Bard Village.

Pockmarks remain from past battles in the streets of Bard Village.

Remnants of 14th century decorative paintings on a building in Bard Village.

One more street scene in Bard Village.

Bard Fortress and the medieval village should be on your list if you visit the Aosta Valley!

The Magical Valle d’Aosta (Aosta Valley)

In the northwest corner of Italy (north of Turin) lies a magical region that receives few tourists. The natural beauty of the Aosta Valley along its historical treasures makes it one of my (many) favorite spots in Italy.

A view of the Aosta Valley from Pont-Saint-Martin, near the southern end of the Valley.

The snow-capped mountains, rushing rivers, numerous waterfalls, castles and ancient Roman ruins all combine to make the Aosta Valley magical. The Valley leads north to the St. Bernard Pass and into Switzerland, an ancient route through the Alps that has been used since Roman times as a trade route and for invading forces (including Napoleon) to conquer the Italian peninsula. (Going west leads to Mount Blanc and into France).

First century CE Roman road and tunnel in the Aosta Valley. Ruts from chariots in the road are still visible.

Stairway leading up to the Roman road, with a carved column on the opposite rock wall.

Another relic of ancient Roman times, Pont-Saint-Martin, gives the town its name.

The town of Verrès, a beautiful small town that has a castle overlooking the town and valley.

Verrès Castle, a 14th century castle open to the public, sits on a rock outcropping above the town of Verrès (note the slate roofs on the right). Unfortunately I lost my camera here with its pictures of the castle’s interior! Luckily all my other pictures of Italy were backed up on a computer.

Because the Valley was such a popular thoroughfare for centuries, medieval lords built numerous castles in the Valley to protect their domains from invaders. Some of these castles are open for visitors while others are inaccessible due to their locations. As you drive through the Valley you’ll see castles on the surrounding hillsides.

There are castle ruins almost at every turn, overlooking the Aosta Valley.

Saint-Pierre Castle, Aosta Valley, Italy

Saint-Pierre Castle, near the northern end of the Valley. It is currently not open to the public.

Another old castle (I don’t know its name) in the Aosta Valley. There are about 70 castles surviving in the Valley, some of which are open to the public.

Another view of Aosta Valley with Sarre Royal Castle (18th century) on the left.

We stayed at a little boutique hotel, La Bicoque, just north of the town of Aosta. Not a bad setting for our continental breakfast!

More to come on this magical area. I will write separate posts on the town of Aosta, Bard Fortress, Fènis Castle and Savoia Castle. Stay tuned!

Portovenere – An Unexpected Bonus near the Cinque Terre

After a sunny picture-perfect first day, the weather turned a bit stormy during our 2nd day in the Cinque Terre. Since it wasn’t a good beach day, we decided we would visit the other Cinque Terre towns. Luckily, the weather was not so bad that the boat couldn’t run its route. As I mentioned in my previous post on the Cinque Terre, the small ferry boat is a great way to see four of the five Cinque Terre towns, and it includes a wonderful ‘bonus’ stop at the southern end of the route.

We purchased our tickets, got a copy of the schedule for timing our stops and hopped on the boat in Monterosso. We decided to go all the way to the end of the route first and work our way back, stopping in the towns we hadn’t visited yet on the return trip. The woman who sold us the tickets explained the ferry’s route and told us that Portovenere (the last stop) was quite a beautiful town, even though it’s not officially part of the Cinque Terre. She wasn’t joking. Portovenere (also spelled Porto Venere) became one of my favorite spots in this part of Italy. (You can also hike to Portovenere from Riomaggiore, the nearest Cinque Terre town, in about 2 hours).

The travel writer Rick Steves calls Portovenere “enchanting” and I would say that’s an accurate description. I was stunned with our first view of Porto Venere, an old medieval church perched on a rocky outcropping guarding the harbor entrance.

Church of Saint Peter, Porto Venere, Italy

Arriving by sea from the Cinque Terre, the 13th century Church of Saint Peter (La Chiesa di San Pietro) is your first sight.

As we cruised further into the harbor, I could also see remnants of a castle fortress on the hill behind the town and an old wall with towers extending down the hill to the harbor. We hopped off the boat and wandered the town for a couple hours, which gave us time to visit the Church of Saint Peter, Castle Doria and explore a few of the old town streets.

A view of Portovenere from the inner harbor.

Portovenere was purchased by the city-state of Genoa in 1116, which ruled this part of the Italian peninsula and was a rival of Pisa [which is about 92 km (57 miles) further south with its famous Leaning Tower], and other Italian states at the time.

Walking up the rocking outcropping to the Church of Saint Peter.

Interior of the Church of Saint Peter, which is actually two churches – the older part dates from the 9th century and the “newer” church (above) is 13th century, from the Genoese era.

A view of the rugged coastline, cliffs and Castle Doria, taken near the Church of Saint Peter.

Taking the stairs up into Castle Doria. There is not too much of the castle itself remaining, but the views of the surrounding area from the grounds are remarkable.

A view of the castle grounds with the Church of Saint Peter in the distance. The castle was rebuilt in the 16th century as a coastal fortress.

I love this view of the Church of Saint Peter with an old castle window in the foreground.

Looking down on Portovenere’s harbor and the walls extending from the Castle, with the old town directly below.

After enjoying the great views from the castle grounds, we meandered through the old town on our way back down to the harbor. The Genoese left their mark on the town, including two churches from the 13th and 12th centuries, San Pietro (Saint Peter) and San Lorenzo.

Church of San Lorenzo, Porto Venere, Italy

The 12th century Church of San Lorenzo, another Genoese contribution to Portovenere. Over the main doorway (a little hard to see) is a sculpture of the martyrdom of San Lorenzo who was roasted alive on a grill. Yikes.