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La Spezia, at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of Northern Italy is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. In terms of population, La Spezia is the second city in the Liguria region, preceded just by Genoa. Located midway between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts the arsenal of the Italian Navy. It is important for its museums, for the Palio del Golfo, and for the railway and boat links with Cinque Terre.
The area of La Spezia has been settled since pre-historic times. In Roman times the most important centre was Luni, now located in the vicinity of Sarzana (city near La Spezia). Being the capital of the short-lived Niccolò Fieschi Signoria in the period between 1256 and 1273, inevitably linked with the Genoese vicissitudes until the fall of the Republic of Genoa, it grew and changed to develop following the lines of the Ligurian capital. In fact, this Ligurian influence still is visible in the urban layout as well as in the types of buildings and decorations. It can be seen by going along the carrugio, the narrow street dividing the Old Town into two, called Via del Prione taking its name from a pietrone or large stone, in local dialect in fact prione, from where public announcements were read. Nicola (Ortonovo), the town's name, for some, would be of Byzantine origin, whilst for others it would derive from "all golden", due to a small mine, now exhausted, but still visible near the village cemetery, discovered north of town. It is a district of Ortonovo, in the province of La Spezia, on the border between Liguria and Tuscany. Nicola is a typical medieval village perched on top of a hill and overlooks the verdant valley. The village was at first under the jurisdiction of the bishops of Luni and was subsequently conquered by Lucca, Pisa, by the Scala family, the Rossi of Parma, by Spinola of Genoa and by the Visconti of Milan. In 1406 it was under the protection of Florence, and after the attack of the troops of Piccinino, the citizens turned to the Florentines to get economic aid in order to repair the huge damage suffered. In fact, during the harsh attack, the village was looted and damaged, the houses given to the flames and the fortified walls destroyed. The money generated from Florence also served to rebuild the walls, still visible in part today. At the end of 1400 the center was sold to Banco of San Giorgio and later it became part of the Republic of Genoa for over two centuries, period in which it was constantly in conflict with the neighboring municipalities for borders, such as Ortonovo and Sarzana . At the end of 1700, with the arrival of Napoleon, Nicola became part of the Ligurian Republic and in 1806 it was incorporated in the town of Ortonovo and became a district. |
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