Deiva Marina is a small Italian comune in the province of La Spezia (region of Liguria), located about east of the city of Genoa on the Riviera di Levante. It is a quiet touristic resort, with clean seawater and a seashore surrounded by green mountains. It is known as a fishing place all year long. Excursions to nearby Cinque Terre National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, or to Portofino are very easy. Since 2018 Deiva Marina municipality is a partner of the Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean Marine Mammals. This implies a commitment to intensify the fight against any form of pollution, whether of maritime or land-based origin having or likely to have a direct or indirect impact on the marine mammal conservation status as well as to avoid any highspeed motorboat competition. History Although mentioned in documents since Carolingian period, the territory was hard to reach by land because of the high mountains surrounding it and by sea, because of the lack of a harbour. A number of small villages scattered the inland, while the seafront could not be inhabited because of the incursions of Muslim Barbary pirates. Local people were often fishermen, but at night would retreat inland to the historic center of Deiva near the church. Two watch towers, built in the 16th century, were the only fortifications, where the population could hide, and today are in the coat of arms of the municipality. The square tower, near the church, about one kilometer from the sea, has been preserved and restored. The round one, near the sea, was partially demolished by a flash flood in 1852. In 1874 the railway along the Ligurian coast was completed and Deiva became easier to access: a few houses were built near the railway station, including an inn called "Albergo Savoia". The rest of the coastal area was partially used by a factory and later also for military defense. The only remarkable building built near the seashore in the first half of the 20th century was a villa in style "art nouveau", called "Villa Schiaffino". The transformation of Deiva into a holiday resort became possible only in 1932, when the railways (including the railway station) were moved about 1 km inland, leaving a wide usable seafront, but really took place after World War II. Meanwhile, connection to the main Italian towns was greatly improved both by the construction of