Giardini Pubblici e Passeggiata Morin

Palm trees, pines and oleanders shape La Spezia's Passeggiata Costantino Morin, a waterfront landscape beside the public gardens and the red lighthouse of Molo Italia.

Why it matters

The Passeggiata Costantino Morin is a civic seafront landscape beside La Spezia's historic centre, with the Gulf of La Spezia framed by the Apuan Alps to the east and hills to the west. The adjacent public gardens and Salvador Allende park extend green space along the waterfront. Each August, the Palio del Golfo regatta connects the promenade with the city's maritime traditions.

What to notice

Rows of palms, pines and oleanders shape the promenade beside the water, while benches face the gulf. The red lighthouse marks the end of Molo Italia; from the mole, the coast, working harbour and distant Alps form a broad maritime landscape. Thaon di Revel bridge, opened in 2013, extends the waterfront architecture over the water toward Mirabello marina. The Cathedral of Cristo Re, designed by Adalberto Libera in 1956 and inaugurated in 1975, anchors the modern skyline.

Context and history

The seafront is a product of La Spezia's modern growth — the promenade is named for Costantino Morin, and it developed alongside the gardens and the coastal road as the city expanded beyond its medieval core in the industrial and naval era. The promenade runs beside the Public Gardens and Salvador Allende park, whose cultural centre carries the park's name. The Palio del Golfo is one of Liguria's traditional rowing contests and forms part of the city's maritime heritage. The 2013 addition of the Thaon di Revel bridge extended the promenade system outward, turning a walk along the coast into a walk onto the gulf itself.