Portovenere, Cinque Terre and the islands-Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto

Wednesday, 01 April 2009 00:00

The Cinque Terre comprises five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, set on a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera.
The landscape of the Cinque Terre was created by a series of folds which were formed when the rocks were pushed, raised and pressed together in the Tertiary period. Millions of years of erosion have slowly given shape to countless small peninsulas and bays between the two extreme promontories: ‘Punta Cavo of Montenero’ and ‘Punta Mesco’.
We know, from archaeological findings, that man has inhabited this stretch of coastline from very early times. Jewellery and decorated shells are some of the traces left behind by prehistoric man. Over the years, man has had to build countless short dry walls (“muretti”) and steps to support the steep strips of land. From research undertaken by naturalists, it seems that over thousands of years the inhabitants of the Cinque Terre have carried out an enormous task in constructing and repairing these famous “muretti”.
So much so that the long network of dry walls is comparable to the Great Wall of China.
Perhaps it is the hard work that the farmers have been carrying out for hundreds of years, together with the air made salty by the sea spray on stormy days, that have made the grapes so sweet and the olives and lemons so tasty.
The ancient “Etruscan Road” was brought back into use by the Romans, bringing both trade and commerce to the Cinque Terre. It was abandoned again during the rule of the Republic of Genoa.
Perhaps the area has preserved all its natural and untouched beauty because of the lack of a main road. Even nowadays, it is not easy to reach the five villages, arriving either by train or along the winding roads. However, these access difficulties are the surest guarantee for the preservation of this characteristic and unique landscape.
The best way to enjoy the Cinque Terre is on foot. The Genoa - La Spezia railway line stops in all the villages along the coast and boats make regular shuttle runs between La Spezia, Lerici, Portovenere, Levanto and Sestri Levante.
The Cinque Terre area is crossed by a knitted mesh of footpaths. The coastal footpath links all five villages, with a hike from the first village to the last village taking about five hours. If time is limited it could also be ideal to do a single hike from one village to another, or perhaps one of the more challenging hikes along the crest or towards the Sanctuaries.
Routes or footpaths are numerous, delightful and interesting, giving a general idea of the area and also offering a brief insight into its exceptional cultural and natural beauty.

PORTO VENERE
The town known as “Portus Veneris” was already famous for its beauty in Roman times. The ancient nucleus developed around the modern-day promontory of San Pietro, where there was a temple dedicated to Venus Ericina, which is where the town’s name derives from.
A Byzantine stronghold in medieval times, it was destroyed by the Rotari in 643 AD but grew again over the following centuries thanks to the monastic movement, which involved the two islands of Palmaria and Tino.
In 1113 it was conceded by the Da Vezzano family to the Genoese, who developed the military and marine potential of the town by building the characteristic row of fort-houses along the coast, the walls, the three towers, the town gate and, between 1118 and 1130, the church of San Lorenzo, which was the work of the Antelami master builders.
Portovenere was an unconquerable bastion of the Republic of Genoa during the long war against Pisa: the characteristic church of San Pietro on the cliff was built by the Genoese in 1256 as a token of gratitude for the decisive contribution of the local inhabitants in the conquest of Lerici.
The “upper castle” was built by the Byzantines and resisted two Pisan sieges in 1165 and 1198; it was demolished in the 15th century to make room for the fortress, which was constructed in a number of phases until 1751.
Just off the coast of Portovenere are the three islands that make up the archipelago of Portovenere: Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto, representing the heart of the “Regional Nature Park of Porto Venere”, founded on 20th September 2001.

The isle of Tino, where interesting ruins from the 11th century can be seen, including an old little abbey dedicated to Saint Venerio, has always been surrounded by mystery, probably deriving from its historical inaccessibility. Today it is a military area, but since last year, thanks to an agreement between the Park and the Navy, it is possible to take a guided tour of the island every month, and to visit one or two days a year when religious celebrations are held on the anniversary of the Saint’s death (13th September).
The abbey was constructed in the 11th century on top of the remnants of a 7th century chapel on the site where the body of the saint, who was born on Palmaria, but died a hermit on Tino, was found.
The legend surrounding the historical character of St. Venerio, the hermit who lived on the island between the 16th and 17th century, protector of La Spezia Gulf and of the Italian lighthouse-keepers, has contributed to maintain the mystery surrounding the island.
The island is also characterised by rare animal species like Euleptes europea, the smallest existing gecko, a highly vulnerable species living mainly in the islands and therefore protected at a European level.

The isle of Tinetto is a rock 18 metres high, and practically without vegetation. It has some ancient ruins, which testify to the presence of religious communities in this area. There are two distinct buildings: on the western side a small oratory with an apse pointing eastwards towards a more complex building which was built in the 6th century. The latter, which consisted of a church with two naves and cells for monks, shows different phases of construction up to the end of the 11th century when it was destroyed by Saracen raids.
Set in a seabed of great naturalistic and ecological beauty is the “Fossa del Tinetto”, a popular diving site because of its vertical depth which creates spectacular features of light when the surface is viewed from below.

Isola Palmaria
The name of Palmaria Island probably came from the presence of several caves, called ‘barma’ or ‘balma’ (cave). The island is easily reached from Porto Venere or La Spezia by a regular ferry service. It is the largest island (179 ha) in the archipelago and offers itineraries of great landscape and naturalistic value giving the opportunity to go around it in less than three hours.
Its slopes present different orographic features: the eastern slope gradually reaches the sea and is rich in Mediterranean vegetation, while the western one is characterised by steep rocky cliffs alternating with caves and ravines (Grotta Azzurra, Grotta Vulcanica, Grotta dei Colombi).
The island has one of the largest colony of Herring Gulls in the Ligurian Sea. These have gradually colonised the abandoned portoro marble mining sites which have been deserted since the 80s thanks to the commitment of the Municipality of Porto Venere which fought for the safeguard of a landscape that would have been definitively endangered had the mining continued.
Also interesting are the botanical species living on the island: besides the characteristic shrubs of the Mediterranean maquis (tree spurge, broom, Mauritanian grass), many of which find in this territory their northern most distribution area, there are rare plants for Liguria like the Pink Rockrose (Cistus creticus L.s.l. ex-Cistus incanus), Juniperus phoenicea and endemic species like Centaurea veneris.
At the most north-western point of the island is a shrine that used to hold the bust of King Carlo Alberto, erected in his honour after he visited the stone quarry in 1837. On the opposite side of the straight, the little church of St Peter, with its unique outline, stands out against the sky with the impressive limestone cliffs of the Muzzerone in the background. From there you have a unique view of the fortress-houses which make up the seafront of Porto Venere.