La Spezia lies at the centre of the Golfo dei Poeti , which stretches from the charming village of Portovenere and its islands on the west side, to the castle of Lerici on the east side. This land is situated between the indented bays and the Parodi, the highest among the Gulf's hills. Extolled by Byron and Shelley, Petrarca and Montale, the gulf is very attractive in the warm summer days spent by the sea or in the narrow streets of its medieval villages. PORTOVENERE Portovenere is situated in the west side of La Spezia gulf. The village stands on a indented promontory with high cliffs , completed by three small isles: Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto. Its name stems from the roman temple dedicated to Venere Ericina, built on the top of the village's promontory and replaced by the Genoese gothic church of San Pietro (13 th century). It has wonderful frescos and the bell tower, once used to sight the enemies coming from the sea. The colourful houses and the medieval narrow streets are very typical. The famous path number 1, linking Cinque Terre to Portovenere starts by the city walls.