Portovenere. Lord Bayron's favorite. And mine.

I spent the entire day exploring Cinque Terre in Italy recently.

If I would go back there I would go to Manarola in the early morning, have coffee and maybe a short walk towards Riomaggiore (to get some local products like pasta, wine, lavender soap etc.).

Then, I would catch a train to Vernazza to get a nice lunch there down at the main Piazza, overlooking the old church and the peer. After lunch I would head straight for a coffee at the foot of that castle and do a short  walk to catch some shade in the narrow streets of the old, beautiful Vernazza.

After that coffee-walk I would grab famous lemon-honey gelato which I would enjoy at that favorite spot of mine, little bench high up the cliff and just next to the castle...

At around 5 p.m. would head for a swim at Monterosso, sunbathing at that long, nice sandy beach and a nice dinner at one of their taverns.

Next morning I would head to Portovenere.

And stay all day there.

And the next one...

Portovenere (in nowadays called Porto Venere) I visited one late afternoon.

The Gulf of Poets...

The road towards there was curvy, nice landscapes.

Took more than hour and a half drive from Monterosso.

The amazing Italian region of Liguria treasures this area that you cannot afford to miss.

 Right next to the famous Cinque Terre and Tuscany. 

It stretches between the sea villages of Portovenere and Lerici. Less than half an hour drive from La Spezia.

 In 1997 Portovenere and the villages of Cinque Terre were designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Beautiful scenery.

The ancient Portus Veneris  dates back to  the 1st century BC. Its name refers to a temple to the goddess Venus (Venere) which was sited  where the church of Peter the Apostle now stands.  
In 1812, Portovenere became part of the coastal route called "Route Napoleon" in honor of the French general/emperor.

First thing you notice is this front row of tall, very narrow colorful buildings.

This is one thing that differs Portovenere from the Cinque Terre.

The tall yellow one, just above the restaurant was my favorite.

They overlook the bay, marina and Palmaria island.

One of the reasons why I liked Portovenere so much is the fact I found a perfect man there.

Look.

What makes him perfect? 

Well, he is tall and strong, seems quiet, he is dressed to accompany me anywhere to my silly adventures, brings food on the table and always smiles at me.
Plus, he looks very fashionable with this beard...

Behind the first row of tall buildings, within these silly narrow streets, you can find many delicious Ligurian treats.

  

Even though this is a village, many things you can see here - like the gothic Church of St. Peter, dating 12th century, marked externally by white and black stripes. Then the romanesque church of St. Lawrence, erected in 11th century by the Genoese ( occupies the site of ancient temple dedicated to Jupiter). The medieval nucleus of Le Grazie is set around the 14th-century Church of Our Lady of the Graces.

And of course, the Doria (Castle) with the walls around the historic center.

I decided to find the first staircase I see and go up. 
I followed the path that took me all the way to the fortress.

I did not know what to expect here.

I never even heard of Portovenere before neither I googled it before this little trip.

You can only imagine how delightful I was to see these images that follow.

Many famous poets and artists have been struck the beauty, Shelley and Lord Byron being most interesting due to the special bond they had.

And their friendship flourished here, in Portovenere.

One of the attractions is Grotta Byron.

The Grotta dell'Arpaia (now collapsed), known as Byron's Grotto, from which the English poet Byron swam across the gulf of La Spezia to San Terenzo to visit Shelley in Lerici, in 1822.!!!

This is Byron's cave. Just under the old fortress. Can you believe he swam all the way to Lerici from here to see Shelley?

That must have been some friendship.

Plus Byron must have been really fit...

Apparently they spent much time together.

While on a boating tour the two took together, Shelley was inspired to write his Hymn to Intellectual Beauty.

Shelley influenced Byron to write Don Juan, a satiric poem based on the legend of Don Juan, which Byron transposes by portraying Juan not as a womanizer but as someone easily seduced by women.

 

This getaway was favorite not only among Byron and Shelley but other writers like:
D. H. Lawrence, 
Hans Christian Andersen, 
Virginia Woolf 
and Dante.

Therefore the name, 
The Gulf of Poets.

At the end of the promenade is the Church of San Pietro. 

A church with black slate and white marble stripes, style known as gothic-genoese.

This church was built on the remains of the church from 6th century, which was built on top of remains of temple dedicated to Venus.

Venus.

How many temples were erected for this Venus...

Actually,  it was rumored that Botticelli's Birth of Venus shows lovely Simonetta Cattaneo Vespucci who was born in Portovenere ( eng. 'the port of Venus') and with whom Botticelli was enchanted.

Aparentely her face is painted on many of his masterpieces.

Interesting.

 Even the Florentine poet Politian  liked lovely Simonetta and wrote that her home was "in that stern Ligurian district up above the seacoast, where angry Neptune beats against the rocks ... 

There, like Venus, she was born among the waves."

Simonetta, Simonetta... :)

This is San Pietro’s church today. The view is breathtaking. 

From here you can admire Byron’s bay.

If you care for a swim, you can dare and try to follow Lord Byron's path.

Mind the rocks though.

But, if you are a more delicate soul, like I am, then take a boat ride and enjoy the beach on Palmaria island which is just across Portovenere.

The sun was setting down.

  

No wonder all these artists were inspired by this place.

There is kind of magic attached to it.

It was April and not much crowded.

And I was lucky to be there late one afternoon.

These are my favorite photos of Portovenere...

  

Sunset kisses the blue sea.

Perfect setting of one perfect day.

Follow me.

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To Portovenere.

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