Lerici
Lerici ( Lérze in the Ligurian language ) is a municipality with 10.646 inhabitants Ligurian and is 11 km from the provincial capital of La Spezia.
Geographical location
Lerici is situated at the eastern end of the Riviera, the French-Italian part of the coast of the Ligurian Sea. Lerici is situated on the eastern side of the Gulf of La Spezia, the Gulf of Poets also called. Opposite of Lerici is Porto Venere. Lord Byron swam once the Gulf of La Spezia from Porto Venere to Lerici.
Even Dante met this geographical allocation and compares the slope of the bottom of the rock slope Fegefeuerberges in his " Divine Comedy " with the cliff edge of the Riviera, La Turbie (Italian Turbia ) to Lerici extends, with the following words:
" From Lerici until after Turbia out Is even the schroffeste crash an increase, Convenient and accessible to him. "
Population Development
In Lerici lived 1861 6.301 inhabitants. From 1901 to 1971, the number rose from 9,912 to 14,680 inhabitants on and has since fallen back to 2001 to 10,900 inhabitants.
History
The " Portus Lunae ", founded by the Etruscans in the Middle Ages long fought over by Genoa and Pisa. 1152 Lerici is mentioned for the first time. The Pisans sat here in 1241, continuing to expand the castle, which was subsequently extended and fortified by the Genoese to a castle in the Pisan- Genoese style. 1256 Genoa conquered the city and ended the occupation of Pisa. The great mansions of the nobility were built in the 17th and 18th centuries. Lerici and San Terenzo its northern suburbs developed since the 19th century into a holiday resort.
Percy Bysshe Shelley and his wife Mary Shelley rented from April to September 1822 white beach villa "Villa Magni " in San Terenzo. On July 8, 1822 sailors Percy Bysshe Shelley came on the return trip from Livorno in a storm and drowned. His friend Lord Byron shook the corpse on the beach of Viareggio burn where the body had been washed ashore. The popularity of Shelley and Byron led to the designation Gulf of Poets ( Poets' Gulf ) for the Gulf of La Spezia and attracted tourists and writers.
The following writers have Lerici and San Terenzo visited: Henry James in 1909, Paolo Mantegazza 1910, D. H. Lawrence, Virginia Woolf in 1933, Gabriele D'Annunzio and Sem Benelli.
Culture and sights
At the castle of Lerici (built circa 1100 to 1550 ) is located next to the imposing fortress with pentagonal tower and the chapel Santa Anastasia from the 13th century. The fortress now houses a museum of paleontology ( " Museo Geopaleontologico ").
In the Castle of San Terenzo (village of Lerici ) a museum is housed, which is dedicated to the couple Shelley.
The parish church of San Francesco in Lerici dates from the 12th century. Many of the works of art in the church are works from the Genoese school, the Madonna with the child in the near Oratory of San Bernardino is by Domenico Fiasella. Between Lerici and Tellaro at La Cala is a shipwreck from Roman times. On the headland of Maralunga is a coastal fortifications from the 19th century.
Community partnerships
Lerici maintains a partnership with the French town of Mougins.
Sons and daughters of the town
- Doriano Romboni (1968-2013) motorcycle racer
Harbor with castle
Bay of Lerici