| La Spezia | |
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| — Comune — | |
| Comune della Spezia | |
| Panorama of La Spezia | |
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La Spezia
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Liguria |
| Province | La Spezia (SP) |
| Frazioni | Biassa, Campiglia, La Foce, Pitelli, San Venerio, Sarbia |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Massimo Federici |
| Area | |
| • Total | 51.39 km2 (19.8 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 10 m (33 ft) |
| Population (1 January 2011)[1] | |
| • Total | 95,641 |
| • Density | 1,861.1/km2 (4,820.2/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Spezzini |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | 19100, 19121-19126, 19131-19139 |
| Dialing code | 0187 |
| Patron saint | St. Joseph |
| Saint day | March 19 |
| Website | Official website |
La Spezia (Italian: [la ˈspɛtsi̯a] ( listen); Spèza in the local dialect of Ligurian), 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. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts one of Italy's biggest military industries, OTO Melara.
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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). 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 is still 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 pietrone or large stone, in local dialect in fact prione, from where public announcements were read. Going up from the sea it is possible to see partly hidden but evident traces of past history: engraved stones, capitals and portals in 14th century sandstone, double lancet windows vaguely reminiscent of the future renaissance style, mannerism and baroque pediments and decorations similar to those adorning the portals of the palaces once belonging to the Doria family and the Princes of Massa.
La Spezia knew an extraordinary development starting from the second half of the 19th Century, when the great Naval Arsenal was commissioned by the Savoys. Midway through WW II after the Italian capitulation to the Allies, it was the departure port for the Italian Navy when it steamed into British hands at Malta. The Germans arrived too late to stop the departure of the fleet, so they summarily executed the remaining Italian Captains. At the end of the Second World War, La Spezia became the point of departure for the survivors from the Nazi concentration camps. From the summer of 1945 to the spring of 1948 over 23,000 Jews managed to leave Italy clandestinely for Palestine. After lengthy tormented vicissitudes, the ships Fede, Fenice and Exodus managed to take away everyone from the Spezia gulf, to the point that on the Israeli geographical maps La Spezia is called «Schàar Zion», Door to Sion.
La Spezia has a typical Mediterranean climate, with hot summers, but warm winters and very rainy autumns and springs. The average temperatures of the coldest month (January) are 1°min. and 8 max. In the hottest month (July) they are 19°min and 30° max. Average annual precipitation is 1343 mm, more than double that in London.
Snow is uncommon; it snows about once or twice a year. Heavy snowfalls are exceptional events: only in 1985 has there fallen more than 50 cm (the same year which recorded the lowest temperature since 1950: -16.8°C). Another big snowfall occurred during the night of 18th dec. 2009, with about 25 cm (9.8 in) of snow. In winter, if during the night the sky is clear and there are northeastern winds, the temperatures may fall several degrees below zero, reaching about -9 °, -10 °C (50 °F).
Instead in summer, especially in sunny days with hot southern winds, the temperature can easily exceed 30° and sometimes it reaches 35 °C (95 °F). Furthermore, the sensation of heat, in summer, and of cold, in winter, is increased by the high humidity.
For the conformation of the territory the city is not exposed to the winds from the north, which lap the western Liguria, but to those from the southeast. These winds bring heavy rain and they can reach 80 km/h, causing in some cases the blocking of the port
La Spezia is a point of departure for the Cinque Terre, either by train or boat. The boat also serves Lerici and Portovenere before turning into the open sea towards the Cinque Terre. These localities are reachable by public transport (15 km) from the central railway station of the city.
Today, La Spezia is the chief Italian naval station and arsenal and the seat of a navigation school. It is also a commercial port, with shipyards and industries producing machinery, metal products, and refined petroleum.
Since 2002 La Spezia is headquarters of a University named G. Marconi. The university offers seven courses of degrees: