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Le 5 Terre |
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I cinque paesi
The tracks
La via dell'Amore (lovers lane)
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"Sorgono sulla scogliera Cinque Terre, quasi ad egual distanza tra loro che sono Monterosso, Vulnezia, ora chiamata volgarmente Vernazza, Cornelia, Manarola e Riomaggiore (...) cosa che invero fa meraviglia vedere monti così erti e scoscesi, che perfino gli uccelli stentano a trasvolarli, petrosi e aridi da rassomigliare piuttosto a quelli dell'edera e della vite. Di qui vien fuori quel vino che approntiamo per le mense dei re...".
( Five villages rise on the cliff almost at the same distance from each other: Monterosso, Vulnezia, now commonly called Vernazza, Cornelia, Manarola and Riomaggiore (...) it is astonishing to see mountains so steep and sheer even birds have trouble flying across them, mountains so stony and parched ivy and grapevine grow on them. Here they produce that kind of wine which is usually prepared for the king's table...)
Giacomo Bracelli, Desptio Orae Linguisticae XV sec
Riomaggiore, Manarola, Coniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso, the Cinque Terre, five villages of Eastern Liguria situated between two promontories in a unique landscape where man and nature live together in complete harmony.
The Cinque Terre is recognized as a National Park and since 1997 it is a UNESCO-listed World Heritage site. The landscape is characterized by small rocky inlets and villages surrounded by thousands of kilometres of dry-stone walls covered in grapevine.
The traditions of the sea and the land have always merged in the daily life of these villages. The name "Cinque Terre" dates back to the 15 th century, but the history of the coastline where the villages are situated is even more ancient. Archeological finds show that man has lived on this coast in distant ages; there are traces such as artefacts, jewels and decorated mussel shells.
As for architecture, the villages of the Cinque Terre are built like towers, high and narrow as if they were fortresses, a shield against any unexpected danger coming from the sea.
In the Cinque Terre the sea is wonderful, but there are also beautiful tracks linking the five villages. There people can walk and have pleasant trips through the woods or visit the small villages scattered over the coast.
The food and wine of the Cinque Terre still represent the traditional blend of sea and land ingredients.
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The five village |
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Riomaggiore
Riomaggiore is the first village you meet when coming from La Spezia. It is situated along the river "Rio Maior" which gives its name to the village. Riomaggiore is built vertically along the coast, therefore it is full of steep stairs surrounded by typical Ligurian buildings with pink and yellow facades. Tradition has it that the village's origins date back to the 8th century.
In the upper part of the village there is a castle, a fortification dating back to the 13th century, which today is the setting for educational and cultural events. The castle towers the village from the Cerricò hill, easily accessible going up the road from the parvis of the Church of San Giovanni Battista .
The parish church was built in 1340 by the bishop of Luni and its gothic facade was added during restoration works.
Walking down to the sea we come to the characteristic marina where locals lower the boats. Thanks to its proximity to La Spezia , Riomaggiore is a crossroads for tourism in the region.
Riomaggiore is the starting point for the famous Via dell'amore (Lovers lane), the famous cliff-side walk carved into the rock, characterized by a stunning panorama high up above the sea.
The upper part of the village is one hour walk from the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montenero
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Manarola
Manarola is at the other end of the "Via dell'Amore". It is a small village entrenched between two steep rocky promontories.
Its origins date back to the Romans (Manarola, from the Latin word Manium arula , a small temple dedicated to the Manes) and it is characterized by the typical Ligurian bright-coloured tower-like houses. The village is situated along the Groppo stream, now covered, and it is full of tangled narrow streets.
In the upper part of the village there is the gothic Parish Church of San Lorenzo, built in 1338 and the fifteenth-century oratory of Disciplinati. All that remains of the castle is a rampart high up above the sea.
The village's marina is sheltered in a gully shut in by two rocky edges. The second marina, Palaedo , which marks the end of the village, is five minutes walk from there on a track carved into the rock. Thanks to its steep cliffs and crystal-clear water, Manarola is the perfect destination for those who want to easily explore the Cinque Terre beneath the sea.
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Health is located in Volastra. | |
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Corniglia
Corniglia is the only village of the Cinque Terre standing on the top of a 100 metres high promontory dropping sheer to the sea. The village is surrounded by vineyards and olive trees.
Corniglia's origins date back to the Romans and the name derives from Gens Cornelia , the Roman clan it belonged to. The village has a tendency towards farming and it resembles the rural hinterland of the region. The built-up area is situated along the main road, via Fieschi. On one side houses give onto this road and on the other they overlook the sea. From the village's terrace, carved into the rock, it is possible to admire the other four villages, two on the one side and two on the other.
The nineteenth-century Sactuary of Nostra Signora delle Grazie (Our Lady of Grace) is seventy-five minutes walk from the village.
On the sea level there is a long stony beach on the one side and a small marina on the other. The secluded sandy beach of Guvano, the destination of naturalists from all over the world, is thirty minutes walk from Corniglia. |
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Vernazza
Vernazza is a small amphitheatre-shaped natural harbour. The village was founded around the year 1000. The name derives from Gens Vulnezia , the Roman clan it belonged to. The Romans used the harbour as a point of departure of their naval forces to shield themselves from Saracens.
In the time of the maritime republics the village was of strategic importance for Genoa, also thanks to its renowned carpenters.
The presence of fine architectural elements such as balconies, arcades, gateways is evidence of the fact that Vernazza enjoyed a higher standard of living than the other villages of the Cinque Terre.
In the centre there are the Doria Tower and the Church of Blessed Mary of Antiochia , built in 1318. According to legend, the church stands where a small wooden box containing the bones of the finger of the blessed was found.
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Monterosso
Monterosso al Mare is the largest village of the Cinque Terre.
The medieval Aurora tower, situated on the Cappuccini hill, separates the old part of village form the modern one, where the railway station is located.
In the upper part of Old Monterosso there are the remains of the Obertengo castle, which stands high above the sea. This part of the village is characterized by the typical Ligurian Houses surrounded by narrow streets.
The Church of San Francesco contains valuable works of art such as the Crucifixion, which many attribute to Van Dyck. Nearby there is the "Confraternita dei Neri" baroque oratory. On the hills stands the sanctuary of Our Lady of Soviore, the most ancient Marian sanctuary in Liguria.
Unlike the other villages, Monterosso has a long beach, the largest in the Cinque Terre. |
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The tracks |
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Walking on the Cinque Terre's stairs and hiking tracks is the best way to discover and enjoy its wonderful panoramas.
All people, be they young or old, can walk these paths, since there are different difficulty levels. Once you end your walk, you can easily go back to the starting point by train, ferryboat or bus. No special equipment is necessary, you just need non-slip shoes, long trousers to protect you from brambles, water and, according to the season, a sun-hat or warm clothes.
The blue track (sentiero azzurro): Over time, it has been traced by those who walked it and, in some points, it is very similar to a narrow mule track linking the five villages along the coasy . It is the most famous and breathtaking path. It takes more or less 5 hours to walk the path, which will lead you up to 500 m above the sea level. It will take twice as much if you'll stopover in each village. We suggest you to walk this path in more than one day.
Track #1: Also known as the " Upper track of the Cinque Terre", it is a footpath going from Portovenere to Levanto. It starts by the sea (Portovenere), it climbs up to 800 m. above the sea level and then goes down again to zero level (Levanto). It takes ten hours to walk this 40 km track: a demanding path, but within everybody's reach. Even if following the crest, the path never climbs up to the top, thus avoiding tiring ups and downs. It goes through all cols and avoids the peaks by running on the side by the sea. The total difference in height amounts to 1300 meters. It is usually divided into six legs, but several alternatives are possible thanks to the many paths which get close to or reach track #1.
Sanctuaries' mountain road (strada dei santuari) : Each village of the Cinque Terre has a Sanctuary on the mountain above it. All the sanctuaries, except that of Riomaggiore, are reached by a vehicular road. You can reach Riomaggiore 's sanctuary with a small rack train, passing through the vineyards and the Mediterranean scrub. You can also reach it by walking up steep footpaths. Once you get there you will enjoy a beautiful panorama over the gulf of Cinque Terre. You can download detailed maps of the tracks on the website of the Cinque Terre National Park |
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Via dell'Amore (lovers lane) |
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The Via dell'amore, the lane linking Manarola to Riomaggiore, is one of the most famous paths in Italy.
It was created at the beginning of the 20 th century during the modernization of the railway line Genova-La Spezia and it is the fastest way to go from one village to the other.
It is a cliff-side walk carved into the rock laying high up above the sea. During the walk you'll have the opportunity to appreciate the local vegetation: agaves, Japanese pittosporum, prickly pears, gillyflowers, rue and many other plants. |
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