Four days to celebrate the rediscovery of the city’s origins with guided tours, conferences, musical events, urban trekking and children’s animation.
October 26, 1407 La Spezia was funded as a political and social community, and formally recognized: in that year, date back to the statutes of the Communitas Spediae, with which the Republic of Genoa officially recognized the community of La Spezia. In fact, the small town already considered itself a cohesive community, and also at official level in 1371 it was nominated a Podestry of the Republic; but the fact that the Superb Genoa recognized the identity of the “community,” endowed its identity, even sanctioned by the presence of the coat of arms of the city.
The 45 chapters of the Statutes of the Communitas Spediae start with two laws imposed from Genoa which revealed themselves very difficult for the city to be respected: the prohibition of blasphemy and of plotting against the Republic.
Apart from this fun story, the statuti gave to Spedia rules rather accurate for a new civil society, worthy of a modern city that felt the need to rationalize its economic and political life according to the Comune model, and determine the characteristics of the its relative independence.
In fact, although the mayor was still appointed from Genoa, eight men from Spedia were chosen by a public asemblea which took place in the church of Santa Maria to help him. The statutes established then the control rules of goods sold, the closing times of shops, casinos and taverns, public holidays, and how the supervisory bodies should be constituted.
The statutes are a valuable record of what at the time was Spezia economically developed, and how to proliferate in the city craft activities are the segnole the tax rules concerning duties on steel, textiles, leather. Citizens seem to have abandoned the countryside to become citizens, and many of them were able to build rich buildings. The city that grows must remain clean to prevent the spread of infections: every citizen will be forced to clean up, on Saturdays, the street in front of their door, to protect the trees and the water sources. (Source: “The Statutes of La Spezia, 26 October 1407” by Diego Del Prato)
La Spezia celebrates its origins and his birthday with a party of four days. It is planned especially some urban hiking trails and guided tours to see up close the architectural to witnesses in the city. There will be exhibitions and meetings to get to know the historical Statutes of Communitas Spediae.
The detailed program of the Cinque Terre and Beyond Calendar:
may, 2017
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