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The Cinque Terre include the
strip of coast from Punta Mesco, the promontory
west of Monterosso, to Portovenere; nestled
between the sea and about 15 kilometres of rocky
ridge. |
The brushy and craggy ridge that defines this
area sometimes overhangs the sea and is
alternately covered by vineyards terraced in
drywall, rocky crop ups, and patches of heather,
broom, and pine that blanket precipices capable
of reaching up to 700 or 800 metres in height.
Among these mountainous crests overlooking the
sea are the last foothills of the Ligurian
Apennines, and nestled among the inlets between
its spurs, there are the timeless lands of the
Cinque Terre: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia,
Vernazza, Monterosso.
Riomaggiore
Riomaggiore rises over the estuary of a
tumultuous Apennine river, called “Rivus Major"
by the Romans and which today covered and paved.
Tradition has it that this town was founded
during the 8th century, when a group of Achaeans,
while fleeing the persecution of the Byzantine
Emperor Leo III, found refuge here.
Manarola
Situated on a rocky pedestal high over the sea,
Manarola is a compact group of brightly coloured
houses, almost all with terraced roofs –
typically known here as "cassola" – where, in
September after the grape harvest, only the best
grapes are spread to be used in making
Sciacchetrà wine.
Corniglia
This town has more of an agricultural tone
rather than a maritime one. It is the only town
where the houses are not touched by the water,
as it is located on the peak of a promontory.
Olives and grapes are cultivated in the
surrounding hills and it is common to meet women
who come and go from the “cian” – the vineyards
- with baskets and faggots on their heads.
Vernazza
The ancient town of Vulnerla maintains its
characteristic appearance of a medieval town and
boasts the most remote maritime traditions of
all the towns of the Cinque Terre. The other
houses that crop up on the promontory are
grouped like an amphitheatre around a small
inlet: they are overlooked by the powerful
defensive walls and the ancient Castle Tower.
Monterosso
This town has long been accessible by road via
Levanto and is undoubtedly the most commonly
visited vacation spot of the Cinque Terre. |
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