Between Punta Cavo di Montenero and
Punta Mesco one finds the Cinque Terre
[Five Lands], a five mile
strip of rocky coast with five Medieval towns
(Riomaggiore, Manarola,Corniglia, Vernazza, Monterosso),
some perched on rocky cliffs, others clusters of houses in a tiny bay or inlet. The picture is completed
by the enchanting little beaches dispersed among the cliffs and the deep water so rich in sea-life.
The area is under the patronage of UNESCO and was proclaimed a National Park in 1997 to protect it from
further modifications after centuries of hard human labor. The ancient inhabitants had replaced the
natural vegetation of the steep hillsides with narrow terraces, supported by low dry-stone walls, on
which they cultivated grapes, the only human activity that can preserve this landscape, and at the same
time guarantee the supply of typical local products, such as the very aromatic wine
Schiacchetrà.
The Cinque Terre can be seen from passing trains and boats; the Genoa-Spezia trains stop in all five
towns and boats offer regular service between them and La Spezia, Lerici, Portovenere, Levanto and Sestri
Levante. This area is a true paradise for excursionists;
there is a network of paths to follow, including
the coastal path that links the five towns and can be walked in about 5 hours. In
Riomaggiore one can
visit the home (from 1870 on) of Telemaco Signorini,
the most important of the Tuscan macchiaioli painters,
who represented so many characteristic aspects of this area in his works. From here one can take the suggestive
footpath called the Via dell'Amore [Path of Love], arriving in
Manarola in about thirty minutes. Continuing
westward one arrives in Corniglia, where we find the Church of
San Pietro, one of the most interesting
Ligurian-Gothic monuments in the area. The fourth and fifth towns are
Vernazza and Monterosso.
In the latter
we find the Church of San Francesco which houses many important artworks,
in particular a Crucifixion attributed
by many experts to Van Dyck.
The many events and folk festivals in this area include the Sagra dei Limoni
[lemon feast], the Festival Bandistico,
the Torneo di Noci [walnut tournament], the
Sagra dell'Acciuga salata [salted anchovy feast] and
dell'Olio d'oliva
[olive oil feast] and the fireworks display held on August 14th.
