The “Percy B. Shelley – San Terenzo and the Gulf of Poets” Literary Park was inaugurated in July 2024, officially becoming part of the prestigious national network of Literary Parks in Italy (Parchi Letterari®).
The Park, conceived on the bicentenary of the death of the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, winds between the seafront and the hinterland in the Montemarcello – Magra Vara Regional Park.
The literary route starts from Shelley Park and arrives at the “Pietraia” panoramic point on Monte Rocchetta.
- Shelley Park was once the garden of Villa Magni, which was Shelley’s home in San Terenzo in 1822.
- From the “Pietraia” area, you can enjoy the view of the entire Gulf, which ranges over the sea that was fatal to the young Percy.
Along the way, you will encounter various artworks by Maestro Marco Nereo Rotelli: they are literary books in marble on which Shelley’s verses are carved.
It is a small open-air museum, a contemplative space where you can admire the landscape and be carried away by poetry.
A verse by Eugenio Montale, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1975, is featured in one of the works at Shelley Park, creating a literary bridge across the Gulf of Poets between San Terenzo and Portovenere. Read more about Eugenio Montale’s love for Portovenere.
“The small literary park dedicated to Percy Shelley was created by sculpting marble, shaping it into a book and sculpting the magical verses of this great poet. It is a place of poignant poetry and meditation. To quote another great poet, Joseph Brodsky: It is as though space, cognizant here more than anyplace else of its inferiority to time, answers it with the only property time doesn’t possess: with beauty.” [Marco Nereo Rotelli]
For more information on the “Percy B. Shelley – San Terenzo and the Gulf of Poets” Literary Park, visit lericicoast.it/parcoletterario.
Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Shelley in San Terenzo
Percy Bysshe Shelley, one of the great English Romantic poets, spent the last months of his life in San Terenzo. He was accompanied by his wife, Mary Shelley, best known for her horror novel “Frankenstein”.
They had chosen to live in Villa Magni, a beautiful white house right on the sea. This is where Shelley composed some of his most beautiful lyrics and an unfinished poem.
Shelley died in a shipwreck while returning to San Terenzo from Tuscany.
He was one of the many artists who fell in love with our gulf: discover 9 poets who loved the Gulf of Poets.
What are Literary Parks
Italy is home to numerous Parchi Letterari® or parks dedicated to renowned authors and literary works.
These itineraries blend literature with history, music, and local traditions, offering a unique opportunity for cultural tourism.
These parks provide a fresh and enriching perspective on Italy’s beautiful landscapes, inspired by the writers and poets who drew creative inspiration from these places.
Find out more at parchiletterari.com.
Photo Credits: Lerici Coast lericicoast.it
