It is a town in the province of La Spezia, situated on top of a hill, that appears to emerge with great difficulty, due to the dense vegetation that surrounds the centre. From this privileged position, it is possible to admire a 360-degree panorama of the surrounding area. The town, placed exactly at the centre of the Province of La Spezia, is quite extensive: it embraces the plain of the Val di Magra, Val di Vara and the area is also adjacent to the Gulf of La Spezia. It is divided into two districts, Lower and Upper Vezzano, both located not far one from each other.
Inhabited since Prehistoric times, the original residential settlement was built approximately around the X century: it was a castle and a tower surrounded by defensive walls. In the XII century a new tower was built, outside the perimeter walls, which was connected to the internal construction by a bridge. The village was mentioned for the first time in a deed of assignment of goods to the Bishop of Luni by Emperor Otto I, in the year 963. Strategically located, it was disputed for a long time during the rule of the Bishop of Luni, by the family of De Vezzano first and then by the Republic of Genoa. Despite the difficulties, the bishops of Luni remained firmly in power until the XIII century. During the Renaissance, the town flourished into a period of prosperity and prestige thanks to a newfound serenity. The settlement was enriched with new building and palaces and obtained a greater autonomy, that ended when, in the XVI century the Genoese Republic preferred to transport their goods, inland through the valley rather by sea through Vezzano. Like most Ligurian settlements, the town suffered the domination of the French, then it was annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1815 and finally to the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.
Not to miss:
The Church of Santa Maria Assunta of the XII century in Romanesque style.
The Church of Our Lady of Salvation of the XVIII century.
The Church of Saints Sebastian and Maria Assunta, built in 1616, preserves inside a statue by the famous sculptor Anton Maria Maragliano.
The remains of the castle of the X century and the corner tower of the XII century.
The remains of the palace and fortified walls of Giustiniani.
The Church of Saint Apollinaris of the XVIII century situated in the hamlet of Valeriano. It houses an organ of 1876.
The Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Molinello in the village of Prati of the XVI century.
The Parish Church of San Prospero in Corongiola.