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La Spezia
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La Spezia (Spèsa in the local dialect of Ligurian) is a city in the Liguria region of northern Italy, at the head of La Spezia Gulf, and capital city of the province of La Spezia.
It is one of the major Italian military and commercial harbours, located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea. La Spezia also hosts one of the biggest military industries of Italy, OTO Melara.
area of La Spezia has been settled since pre-historic times.
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Encyclopedia
La Spezia (Spèsa in the local dialect of Ligurian) is a city in the Liguria region of northern Italy, at the head of La Spezia Gulf, and capital city of the province of La Spezia.
It is one of the major Italian military and commercial harbours, located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea. La Spezia also hosts one of the biggest military industries of Italy, OTO Melara.
History
The area of La Spezia has been settled since pre-historic times. In Roman times the most important centre was Luni now located in the vicinity of Sarzana (small city near La Spezia). Capital of the short-lived Niccolò Fieschi Signoria in the period between 1256 and 1273, inevitably linked with the Genoese vicissitudes until the fall of the Republic of Genoa, it grew and changed to develop following the lines of the Ligurian capital.
In fact this Ligurian influence is still visible in the urban layout as well as in the types of buildings and decorations. It can be seen by going along the carrugio, the narrow street dividing the Old Town into two, called via del Prione taking its name from pietrone or large stone, in local dialect in fact prione, from where public announcements were read. Going up from the sea it is possible to see partly hidden but evident traces of past history: engraved stones, capitals and portals in 14th century sandstone, double lancet windows vaguely reminiscent of the future renaissance style, mannerism and baroque pediments and decorations similar to those adorning the portals of the palaces once belonging to the Doria family and the Princes of Massa.
The St. George castle is certainly the most emblematic monument of La Spezia’s historical past. Standing on a small rise called Poggio, dominating the Old Town, it has continuously undergone construction works documented from at least the second half of the XIV century: the enormous tower incorporated into the upper part of the structure, where only a part of its foundations can be seen today, the walls with their slits for the archers facing north towards the outside garden and the surviving parts of the city walls which led down from the castle towards Via XX Settembre, can in fact be traced back to this date. In 1443 the castle underwent major restoration works with the addition of a wing to the lower part of the castle, built for using firearms, whilst works on totally upgrading the top part of the building were begun a century later in 1554. The works for erecting a major supporting defensive work called Bastia (the bastion) no longer standing today, also go back to this date, but ruins have come to light recently from under the university campus, beyond the castle. Lastly in 1607, work was done on giving the castle the appearance it has today when Genoa embarked on a project to integrate and upgrade its defensive system along the Gulf.
La Spezia knew an extraordinary development starting from the second half of the XIX Century, that is to say from when the great Naval Arsenal commissioned by the Savoy’s transformed the best part of its fate and aspect.
At the end of the Second World War, La Spezia became the point of departure for the survivors from the Nazi concentration camps. From the summer of 1945 to the spring of 1948 over 23,000 Jews managed to leave Italy clandestinely for Palestine. After lengthy tormented vicissitudes, the ships Fede, Fenice and Exodus managed to take away everyone from the Spezia gulf, to the point that on the Israeli geographical maps La Spezia is called «Schàar Zion», Door to Sion.
Climate
La Spezia has a typical Mediterranean climate, with hot summers, quite warm winters and very rainy autumns and springs. The average temperatures of the coldest month (January) are 2°min. and 10 max. In the hottest month (July) they are 19°min and 28° max. Average annual precipitation is 1343 mm, more than double that in London.
Snowfalls are rare, it snows about once or twice a year. Heavy snow precipitations are exceptional events: only in 1985 has there fallen more than 50 cm (the same year which recorded the lowest temperature since 1950: -12.3°C). In winter, if during the night the sky is clear and there are northeastern winds, the temperatures may fall several degrees below zero, reaching about -5 °, -6°C.
Instead in summer, especially in sunny days with hot southern winds, the temperature can easly exceed 30° and sometimes it reaches 35°C. Furthermore, the sensation of heat, in summer, and of cold, in winter, is increased by the high humidity.
For the conformation of the territory the city is not exposed to the winds from the north, which lap the western Liguria, but to those from the southeast. These winds bring heavy rain and they can reach 80 km/h, causing in some cases the blocking of the port.
Main sights
Churches
- Cristo Re dei Secoli ("Christ the King of Centuries", cathedral), consecrated in 1975. The project was by Adalberto Libera.
- Abbey church of Santa Maria Assunta ("Our Lady of the Assumption", 13th century). It houses a considerable series of artworks, some of them coming from other suppressed religious institutes. They include an Incoronation of the Virgin by Andrea della Robbia, the Multiplication of Bread by Giovanni Battista Casoni and st. Bartholomew's Martyrdom by Luca Cambiaso.
- Santi Giovanni e Agostino ("Saints John and Augustine", 16th century). It has a single nave with 18th and 19th century decorations.
Museums
- "Ubaldo Formentini" - Civic Museum in the Castle of San Giorgio
- "Amedeo Lia" Museum
- Palazzina delle Arti and Museum of Seals
- Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (CAMeC)
- Diocesan Museum
- Ethnographic Civic Museum
- Technical Naval Museum
- National Transportation Museum
Others
- Castle of San Giorgio, recently restored. Probably originated from a watchtower, a first castle is known to have been built by Niccolò Fieschi in 1262. In 1273 the Genoese destroyed it, and a new fortification, along with a new line of walls, was erected by the podesteria of La Spezia from 1371. Annexed to this edifice, the Republic of Genoa added a new castle starting from 1607.
- Public Gardens
- Art Nouveau-style villas
- Futurist mosaic by Prampolini inside the Post Office
La Spezia is a point of departure for the Cinque Terre, either by train or boat. The boat also serves Lerici and Portovenere before turning into the open sea towards the Cinque Terre. These localities are reachable by public transport (15 km) from the central railway station of the city.
Economy
Today, La Spezia is the chief Italian naval station and arsenal and the seat of a navigation school. It is also a commercial port, with shipyards and industries producing machinery, metal products, and refined petroleum.
Education
Since 2002 La Spezia is headquarters of a University named G.Marconi.
The university offers five courses of degrees:
- mechanical engineering (three-year)
- Naval engineering (three-year)
- information technology (three-year)
- seamanship engineering (Five-year)
- Naval design (Five-year)
Events
- San Giuseppe, feast of the Patron Saint of the city, held on 19 March.
- Palio del Golfo, on first Sunday in August.
- Cercantico, an antique fair, 1st Sunday of every month except July and August.
Notable people
See also
External links
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