Tellaro and the Gulf of Poets in e-bike

From the meeting point in La Spezia, we head towards Pitelli, a village born during the sixteenth century in the place where the ancient medieval port of San Bartolomeo di Cento Chiavi stood. Its origins are represented by the emblem of the district, which depicts three Saracen ships, three springs and three hills symbolizing respectively the coastal origins, the thermal springs underground and the hills on which the village stands. At the entrance to the village, it is possible to visit the ancient oratory of San Bartolomeo, dating back to the mid-sixteenth century, and the Baroque-style Church of San Bartolomeo Apostolo houses a crucifix dating back to the 16th century and a 19th-century organ. The church's facade is adorned with statues of San Bartolomeo, the Madonna del Rosario and Saint Antonio.

The itinerary continues first towards Solaro, from which you can admire a wonderful panorama over the Gulf of Poets, and then towards La Serra, mentioned as far back as 1141, a typical Ligurian village with narrow streets, vaults, stairways and a hill cultivated with olive trees behind it. The view from here is a must-see: below, in the foreground, Lerici, San Terenzo on the right and, along the horizon starting from the left, the islands of Tinetto, Tino and Palmaria, the beautiful Portovenere and the whole coast that goes into the Gulf of La Spezia, the offshore dam, and the Blue Bay.

Finally we reach Tellaro, an ancient fishing village, a hidden gem that presents itself as a masterpiece of urban design and architecture, perfectly inserted in the landscape. The typically pink church of San Giorgio overlooks the sea and is surrounded by houses with typical Ligurian colors, one against the other among the narrow streets. A church that looks like a castle, as if protecting the village, where history and legend are confused. It is told, in fact, that in the Middle Ages, Tellaro was saved from a night attack by Saracen pirates, thanks to a giant octopus that woke up the population by ringing the church bells. Writer and director Mario Soldati settled in a villa hidden among the holm oaks and olive trees of a large park overlooking the sea.

Return to the starting point.