San Pietro Church, Portovenere

Today we took the ferry to Portovenere to check out the town and the San Pietro Church, the Church of Saint Peter. The ferry is such a great way to see the coastline and we were very lucky that it wasn't full as we got great seats on top to admire the view. It amazes me how some of the houses on the steep hillsides are even built and how on earth people get to them, especially when we couldn't see any visible roads.

The Church of Saint Peter is the first thing you see as you come into Portovenere on the ferry, as it is built on the cliff above the sea, in the Gulf of the Poets, also known as the Gulf of La Spezia. Built in 1198 over what was left of an ancient pagan temple, Saint Peter’s was probably completed between 1256 and 1277, when its distinctive black-and-white striped body was erected. Then, from the 15th century on, fires and ransacking caused great damage to the structure, until it was fully renovated in the 1930s. The church’s striped body made from black rock and white marble makes it an eye-catching monument.

The bronze doors decorated with different figures make for a striking entrance and the dark naves give the church a very solemn feel. It certainly isn’t elaborately decorated like many of the churches we have seen and, in this case, the exterior was more striking than the interior. The view from the outside terrace to the sea is amazing, especially on such a clear day as today.

While the church isn't big, it was nice to have been able to visit it.Read more