Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: Province of La Spezia

The current parish church Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista (Church of San Juan Bautista) was built between the year 1244 and 1307. It was remodeled in the Baroque period and more recently between 1963 and 1964. The facade , which dates from 1307, is made of alternating vestments of white marble and dark green serpentine. The central rose window in white marble is a splendid example of ornate Gothic. The lace-like ornamentation shows from the central button, eighteen smooth and twisted columns. The interior structure has a basilica plan and a division of three naves and for its characteristics, represents a pure Genoese Gothic style. The altar greater and the masonry wood , were commissioned in 1734. The Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista is one of the oldest churches in Cinque Terre.

The Cinque Terre is a string of five old fishing villages perched high on the rugged coastline of the east end of the Italian Riviera in Liguria. Until recently they were linked only by mule tracks and accessible only by rail or water. Nowadays Cinque Terre is a UNESCO Heritage Site. It's also one of the most sought-after travel destinations in all of Italy. The five villages are no longer the isolated hamlets they once were, but there’s still a feeling of authenticity, with few roads and perfectly preserved architecture. Monterosso al Mare - the most populated village of Cinque Terre - is divided into two parts, divided by a pedestrian tunnel. To the west the residential; area with a long sandy beach, railway station, hotels and restaurants. To the east the old town with a small harbour and beach and the typical tower-houses painted with bright colours and narrow medieval alleys. A first settlement is mentioned in the 9th century. Shortly after the year 1000, the inhabitants began to descend into the natural inlet and the small town began to increase in number and was protected by town walls. In 1545 the village was the victim of a terrible raid by Barbary pirates led by the Ottoman corsair Dragut. With the arrival of Napoleon, Monterosso followed the vicissitudes of French domination and the birth of the Kingdom of Italy. Monterosso al Mare was the last village in Cinque Terre we visited. To be honest it was the least exciting of the five villages. It feels more like an "average" summer resort with its long beach and several hotels.

The Cinque Terre is a string of five old fishing villages perched high on the rugged coastline of the east end of the Italian Riviera in Liguria. Until recently they were linked only by mule tracks and accessible only by rail or water. Nowadays Cinque Terre is a UNESCO Heritage Site. It's also one of the most sought-after travel destinations in all of Italy. The five villages are no longer the isolated hamlets they once were, but there’s still a feeling of authenticity, with few roads and perfectly preserved architecture. Vernazza is the only village of the famous Cinque Terre (Five Villages) to be included in the list of borghi più belli d'Italia (most beautiful villages of Italy). It is the most prosperous village of the Cinque Terre, partly due to the somewhat larger harbour, guarded by a watch tower, which was once part of the impressive Castello Doria. Vernazza has a long history: the village was probably founded around the year 1000. It was ruled by the Republic of Genoa starting in 1276. One of the families that helped to found Vernazza is said to have given its name to the village: the Gens Vulnetia. Vernazza is said to be a corruption of this family name. The church Santa Margherita d'Antiochia, which was built in 1318, lies directly on the village square and harbour. The octagonal, 40-meters bell tower rises proudly, like a lighthouse for the colourful fishing boats. We were exploring Cinque Terre by train. Believe it or not, when we got out of Vernazza station we came across of Dutch acquaintances from our home town among the thousands and thousands of tourists.

The Chiesa di San Pietro (St. Peter Church) was built between 1334 and 1351 and has a very sober sandstone façade. The wonderful white Carrara marble rose window has a very elaborate shape, with all different designs and, in the central hole, a deer symbol of the village. The cornice is “saw-toothed”, with hanging arches, some of which are decorated with animal heads. The parish church - with both Gothic and Baroque style characteristics – is one of the most interesting monument of Corniglia and Cinque Terre. The interior - with a basilica plan with three naves - underwent some interventions in the Baroque style. It offers a finely crafted altarpiece and 18th-century paintings.

The Cinque Terre is a string of five old fishing villages perched high on the rugged coastline of the east end of the Italian Riviera in Liguria. Until recently they were linked only by mule tracks and accessible only by rail or water. Nowadays Cinque Terre is a UNESCO Heritage Site. It's also one of the most sought-after travel destinations in all of Italy. The five villages are no longer the isolated hamlets they once were, but there’s still a feeling of authenticity, with few roads and perfectly preserved architecture. Manarola, the second village of the Cinque Terre coming from La Spezia is one of the most picturesque villages, made up of the characteristic perched and colorful tower-houses that overlook the alleys and the main street, where boats are on dry land, which creates an extra attractive image. Manarola develops around the main road that retraces the course of the Groppo stream, which is now covered and no longer visible. Numerous alleyways and stone alleys branch off from the main street, to reach the sides of the promontory and the houses higher up on the rock that reaches up to 70 meters above the Mediterranean Sea. The main road ends at a tiny harbour. Manarola was first mentioned in the second half of the 13th century. Passed under the dominion of Genoa, the town experienced a progressive development, becoming one of the major producers of oil and wine.

The Chiesa San Giovanni Battista is the parish church of Riomaggiore . The church was founded in the year of 1340, as stated in the plaque situated on the southern side of the building. The church is located in the upper part of the village, it was built during a period of economic development. In 1870, following a collapse, a reconstruction of the neo-gothic style façade and an extension of the entire building were carried out, maintaining, however, the 14th century rosette in white Carrara marble. The two gothic style entrances and the single-lancet windows are remaining evidences of the original structure. The church has a basilica plan and three naves separated by elegant pointed arches. It offers several pieces of art, among them a wooden crucifix, a 15th century triptych depicting the Virgin with Child and saints Rocco and Sebastiano and a valuable marble pulpit.

The Cinque Terre is a string of five old fishing villages perched high on the rugged coastline of the east end of the Italian Riviera in Liguria. Until recently they were linked only by mule tracks and accessible only by rail or water. Nowadays Cinque Terre is a UNESCO Heritage Site. It's also one of the most sought-after travel destinations in all of Italy. The five villages are no longer the isolated hamlets they once were, but there’s still a feeling of authenticity, with few roads and perfectly preserved architecture. Riomaggiore - the most eastern village of Cinque Terre is the largest of the five and acts more or less as its unofficial ‘headquarters’. The charming village is perched on a terraced hillside and its pastel coloured tower-houses march down to a tiny harbour. The village was originally founded in the 8th century by Greek refugees anxious to take advantage of the naturally rich soil and plentiful sea life surrounding it. Nowadays Riomaggiore however, actually dates back to the 13th century and was named for the stream, Rivus Major, that flows underneath today’s main road “Via Cristoforo Colombo. Only in the nineteenth century the village was reached by the railway, which first connected it to the other villages of the Cinque Terre and then to the rest of Italy. We visited the villages of Cinque Terre from our 'base' Levanto with the "Carta 5 Terre Treno". This card allows unlimited travel by train for one day in the Cinque Terre region.

Framura is on the official list of Italy’s prettiest towns ( Borghi più Belli d’Italia ). The old town is actually made up of four tiny villages clinging to a hillside, one above the other. At sea level is the pretty little harbour, or Porticciolo . The harbour is full of colourful boats and has a bar for a lunch, drink or aperitivo. We visited Framura from Levanto - where we stayed a couple of days - by a short bike trip. The biking/walking path runs through an old restored railway tunnel and is as flat as can be. It offers a couple of snatches of views of the beautiful coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Levanto has a number of bicycle rental companies. However, we were able to use the free bicycles of our hotel (Oasi Hotel).

The year of construction of the Romanesque Chiesa di Sant’Andrea (Church of St. Andrew) is not exactly known. Certainly the church is mentioned several times in 13th-century documents, including one dated “1222”, the year of the hypothetical start of work on the building of the church. On the other hand, it is certain, from the references on the façade and on the first pillar on the right, that the church was consecrated on 20 May 1463, after the new enlargement works which started in 1450. The slender columns of the nave pick up the decorative motif of alternating bands already, also present on the façade. Its actual look is due to the restorations made between the end of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century. The façade is covered by a marble facing with alternating bands of white Carrara marble and green serpentinite, a decorative motif typical of Genoese Gothic architecture. The remarkable has a magnificent rose window. The interior of the church offers several works of art, an 18th-century main altar and a red marble baptismal font. We came across the Chiesa di Sant’Andrea during a city walk. We found it on a leaflet from the local tourist information office, although the route was not very clear at some points.

Levanto - about 5.600 inhabitants - is a coastal town, located along the Italian Riviera between Genua and La Spezia. The town is bordering - and a good starting point for exploring - the well known villages of Cinque Terre. It is sharing with them large areas of the National Park and the Protected Marine Reserve. Levanto has a historical center, nowadays completely pedestrian. The town still has a medieval feel due to the presence of the old castle dating from the 1200', the old city wall and bell tower. Levanto also has many churches, which include the Chiesa di Sant’Andrea from 1222 and the San Nicolo and San Siro churches, which date back to the 11th century. Among these things, Levanto is home to a UNESCO-listed 13th-century loggia, a rare example of late medieval architecture that survives intact up to the present. The town and its medieval villages are nestled amidst a wide valley of olive groves, vineyards and Mediterranean maquis. The valley opens up in sandy or pebbly beaches. Levanto was the first stop on our journey through Liguria. We did sleep in a nice hotel - Oasi Hotel - close to the centre of the town with also very friendly staff.