La Spezia

La Spezia is the second largest city in the Liguria region after Genoa.

Christianity probably gained a foothold in the region from the 3rd century. Along with the migration of peoples and the military conflicts between the Western and Eastern Roman Empires, the Goths invaded Liguria. In 643 the region fell under the rule of the Lombards. In the centuries that followed, the coast was regularly plagued by Arab and Norman pirates.Originally no more than a fishing village, the settlement of La Spezia arose in the 12th century. Under the rule of Nicolò Fieschi from 1256 to 1273, the village, favored by its position at the end of a bay, developed into an outpost in the fight against the dominance of Genoa. After the conquest in 1273, La Spezia became part of the Republic of Genoa.