Cinque Terre: Manarola

Manarola, hamlet of Riomaggiore, is a town planning jewel, rich as it is in typical tower houses of Genovese style. It is the second village that you reach, starting from La Spezia. Manarola is the oldest of the Cinque Terre. 

The structure of the village is developed around the course, now covered, of the Groppo stream, which defines the main axis; a series of narrow stone-paved alleyways branch off from it and reaches the houses on the sides of the promontory and the gardens.

Founded during the XII century, the village probably derives its name from an antique “magna roea“, a large mill wheel present in the village. The first evidence of the village, dating back to the year 1200, is relative to the events of the Fieschi, whilst in the XVI century there was news of their strenuous resistance against the pirate raids. The most important monument of the hamlet is the church of San Lorenzo, which was built in 1338, work of the inhabitants of Manarola and Volastra, as the stone on the façade of the church testifies. The layout with three aisles, whilst the façade is embellished with a rosette of twelve columns. Also important is the bell tower, detached from the main body of the church, probably because it originally held a defensive role.
Since 1961, at Christmas, on a hill overlooking the village there has been a charming lit nativity scene (the largest in the world), the characters of which, handcrafted by Mario Andreoli, consist of thousands of lights mounted on special templates that give the representation a unique charm. The Native scene of Manarola has become part of the Cinque Terre tradition. The creator and maker is Mario Andreoli (retired railwayman) that today is in his eighties. Thousands of people who come from all over the world to admire the opening event on December 8th.

Here you can walk the Via dell’Amore, worldwide famous for its beauty and its breathtaking views, it is one of the most important tourist attractions of the area and is part of the National Park of the Cinque Terre area and a UNESCO world heritage site.