- Most beautiful villages
Photo: RThiele, CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
- Type
- Historic village
- Elevation
- 10 m above sea level
- Area
- 16,010,000 m²
- Coordinates
- 44°04′35″ N, 9°54′40″ E
History and description
Lerici (Ligurian: Lerxi, locally Lerze) is a comune in the province of La Spezia, in the Italian region of Liguria, part of the Italian Riviera. It is situated on the coast of the Gulf of La Spezia, 8 kilometres (5 mi) southeast of La Spezia. It is known as the place where the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley drowned. The town is connected by ferry to the Cinque Terre and Porto Venere.
One of the main sights of Lerici is its castle which since its first founding in 1152 was used to help control the entrance of the Gulf of La Spezia. For a long time, the castle contained a museum of palaeontology inspired by a local lad (Walter) finding dinosaur bones in the region.
History
The origins of the town date back to the Etruscan period. In the Middle Ages the town came under Genoese control. After it had been sold to Lucca, it became involved in a series of conflicts between Genoa and Pisa, as it was on their common border. In 1479, the town came under Genoese sway for good.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Lerici».
Photos
Getting there
ArcolaTrain, nearest
4.7 km as the crow flies
Lerici
Port300 m
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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Nearby
See on the mapMore historic villages in Liguria
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Frequently asked questions
Where is Lerici?
Lerici is in Lerici, in the province of La Spezia (Liguria), Italy. GPS coordinates: 44.07626, 9.91110.
What else is there to see near Lerici?
Nearby you’ll find: Castello di San Giorgio (500 m away), Villa Marigola (900 m away), Villa Magni (1.2 km away).
Sources and licences
Text. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Data. Wikidata (CC0); opening hours and contacts OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Photos. Wikimedia Commons, author and licence on every image.
Credits for the 2 photos
- Dächer von Lerici — RThiele, CC BY 3.0
- ISS067-E-152539 - View of Cinque Terre coast, Gulf of La Spezia, Italy (cropped) — Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences