THE RUINS OF BARBAZZANO
If you follow the trail starting from Tellaro and going up in the hills above Fiascherino, you reach the ruins of Barbazzano – an enchanted place surrounded by olive trees and the “macchia mediterranea”. Here you can still admire what remains of the ancient village – the walls, the houses and part of the bell-tower.
There is still a sense of mystery surrounding Barbazzano, maybe due to the many legends about it. The most famous one has it that back in the days a griffon defended the village against a fierce army attack.
PORTESONE
This very old settlement is located in the hills above Tellaro. Back in the days, it was a rural village characterized by two-storey, stone buildings – usually, on the ground floor there was the cattle, and above it, there was the owners’ area, reachable only by a movable wooden leather. These typical buildings served as a protection against the frequent pirates invasions.
In the 16th Century, after a plague epidemic, the village was abandoned and the survivors moved along the coast, creating the village of Tellaro.
IL FODO
Villa Volpara, also known as Villa del Fodo, had an important role during the Second World War – for almost 9 months (from November 1943 to September 1944), it became a clandestine printery. The printery was inside an underground tank in the farmyard and right in this place thousands of anti-fascist leaflets and magazines were printed. In March 1944, during a German-fascist attack, a group of antifascist workers called a strike and printed all the leaflets right here.
MONTI DI SAN LORENZO
Monti di San Lorenzo is a lovely place hidden among the lush vegetation of the Gulf of Poets. In the Middle Ages, during the Saracen invasion, people used to take refuge here – the only evidence of the ancient village today, though, is the rectangular-plan church that used to be in the heart f the village.
If you go to Monti di San Lorenzo during the summer solstice and in the following days, you enjoy a unique and mystical spectacle. At sunset, the sunlight slips between the lytic stones (dating 6000 bC) creating a butterfly of light. The “golden butterfly” will be visible for almost a month: from late May to late July.
LA SERRA
The pristine village of La Serra is one of the most beautiful places of our Gulf. Lose yourself along the narrow streets (called “vicoli”) and the steep stairs of the village, and admire breath-taking views of Lerici, San Terenzo, Portovenere and the Tino, Tinetto and Palmaria islands. At the end of August, La Serra hosts the very renowned “Sagra da Lumaga” (Snail Festival). Together with many of the most traditional Ligurian delicacies, here you can taste the delicious “lumache” stew, prepared according to nonnas’ recipe.
PUGLIOLA
Pugliola is a small village in the hills of Lerici, about 100 meters over the sea level. Thanks to its position, it is the perfect place to enjoy breath-taking views of the Gulf of Poets. Take a walk along the small “carruggi”, admire the beautiful and colourful houses as well as the baroque church named after San Nicolò and Santa Lucia, which features a Romanic bell-tower and peculiar, gothic gravestones from the 14th Century.
SOLARO
Located along an old military road between Lerici and La Spezia, Solaro is a small village encircled by olive trees and terraces. The word “Solaro” comes from the Latin “Solarion”, which means “a place exposed to the sun”. According to an ancient legend, though, the name might come from the bishop of Luni, Salario, who was martyred in an unknown place near San Terenzo.
Back in the days, Solaro was surrounded by walls – if you take the path towards San Terenzo, you can still see the remains of the round turrets.
