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Lerici

Lerici already been a maritime landing place and trading centre of notable importance in the XII century: routes toward Rome, Jerusalem, coming from the North and in the opposite direction toward "Santiago de Campostela”, these three medieval places of pilgrimage transformed the territory from land importance to that of maritime importance. Signs of such were in "The Purgatory" by Dante, Boccaccio set the final stage of one his novels here and Petrarca who indicated the fortissimo Eryx as dwelling place of the god Atena (the oil hunter). Medieval Lerici laid on the promontory which extended and con-cluded near the sea with a Castle of massive size. Lerici was sought after by the Maritime Republic of Genoa, that held the strongholds of Porto Venere and that of Pisa. The later was held for a short period (1241 - 1256), and had a more modern strongpoint in the north with its own defense system. Lerici was the headquarters of important peace meetings, economical agreements, salt traffic and also the Port of Lucca preferred for its commerce of cloth and silks directed to France rather than along the less secure Tuscany coastline controlled by Pisa. Upwards from "Calata" there is of particular interest the Jewish Ghetto a consistent mercantile settlement with roots in Livorno, the Castle walls of "Via del Revellino, the ascent of Arpara as is its place-name from late medieval times that means “the place where nested the Osprey”, "Pisan Alleyway” or Vico de'Pisani, the small square on the hillock and that of Saint George, opposite the entrance of the castle.