Levanto

Levanto is a municipality in the beautiful northern Italian province of La Spezia. This town is located at the end of a valley on the coast and is thickly lined with olive and pine trees.

Attractions in Levanto include two churches, the Church of St. Andrew and the Church of St. Mary of the Coast, a villa which is situated on the town’s most beautiful headband with the most elaborate landscaped gardens. There are two squares in the town, the Piazza di Loggia which gets its name from a 13th century loggia (an architectural feature of Italian design) and received from UNESCO the title of “monument being evidence of culture and peace”, and the Piazza Cavour which was once the inner courtyard of the Monastery of the Order of St.Claire. The Piazza Cavour now hosts the town hall, the public library and other municipal buildings.

Tourists should take note of four festivals and their dates that take place in Levanto every year. The Festa di san Giacomo (Feast of St. James) and the Festa del Mare (Festival of the Sea) on the 24-25 of July, the Festa di Nostra Signora della Guardia which is a traditional band concert on the 29th of August, Sagra del Gattafine (a celebration of food, in particular fried pastry stuffed with beets, onions, egg and grated cheese) in June and Festa Madonna del Soccorso on the 1st and 2nd of July which takes place in a little village near Levanto called Fontona.