Portovenere, Cinque Terre, and the Islands

The Ligurian coast between Cinque Terre and Portovenere is a cultural landscape of great scenic and cultural value.



Year Decision Comments
1997 Inscribed Reasons for inscription

Reviews

Klaus Freisinger (Austria):
Italy´s coast is blessed with quite a number of beautiful regions - Amalfi is probably the most famous, but Cinque Terre doesn´t come far behind. It´s located quite close to the nice port city of La Spezia, between Genoa and Pisa. The mountains reach as far as the coast, resulting in a breathtaking landscape of cliffs, islands, and forests. Together with the pretty villages, especially Portovenere and Monterosso (take the boat ride between the two), the Cinque Terre make for a great vacation.
Date posted: March 2006
David Berlanda (Italy / Czech Republic):
When we were visiting the region Liguria, we have decided to visit the jagged coastal zone of Cinque Terre, 15 km long. We have visited the five small villages of the area: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. They were disputed by different noble families before they became part of the Republic of Genoa and are very particular because in front they have the sea and behind them the mountains (Apennines) falling in it. The landscape is beautiful and has a few hectars of vineyards and olive cultivations, some of them longer than 2 km, terraced by drystone walls and beach pebbles. The villages are picturesque because they are built on the rock and have nice winding streets with small houses with stone roofs, grouped around churches, castles, harbours for fishing boats and now culverted streams. Monterosso al Mare is situated in a valley and you can see there the Gothic churches of St. John the Baptist, with a high tower (a former isolated watch tower), a front with strips, a rose window and a porch, and St. Francis, that contains important paintings of Van Dyck, Bernardo Castello, Bernardo Strozzi and Luca Cambiaso, the remains of a castle, of the walls and of the Tower Aurora, the oratories of the Death and of the Holy Cross. In Vernazza (constructed on a rock) you can find a main road going to the square where overlooks the apse of the Gothic church of St. Margaret of Antioch, that has two levels, the Franciscen convent, the remains of the walls and a tower. Corniglia is the only town built on a promontory, where you can admire the church of St. Peter, reconstructed in Baroque style, that has a Gothic portal and rose windows, the Oratory of St. Catherine and the House of Fieschi. In Manarola (a small village constructed on a rock) is the the Gothic church of St. Lawrence with a tower, a nice rose window made by Matteo and Pietro from Campilio, some relieves and altars, the remains of the walls, the oratory of the Assumption of the Virgin and the leprosarium of St. Rocco. In Riomaggiore there is the neo-Gothic church of St. John the Baptist, with a Gothic rose window, the nice remains of a castle, the Chapel of St. Rocco and the Oratory of the Assumption of the Virgin.
I liked very much this landscape because of the beauty of its towns and of the scenery. It's worth to be visited if you are in Liguria (it's hard to get there and the best way to do it is by train and the centres are closed to the traffic) and justifies the inscription, even if maybe it can be extended to the coastal zone as far as the promontory of Portofino and inscribed also under natural criteria.
Photo: Manarola - View to the centre and the vineyards from the castle
Date posted: January 2006
Ann Reeves (USA):
We had tickets to fly to Italy from California, September 12, 2001. The 9/11 disaster changed all that. My mother, brother, and daughter had planned to go, and when a week later we were able to fly out, my mother had decided not to.
So it was with great excitement, and some fear, that the three of us left for Venice. We almost immediately boarded the train after reaching Venice, and headed west to our first destination, Monterosso on the Cinque Terre.
We were dragging after 19 hours of travel when we arrived and found our hotel. Because all of our reservations had to be changed, there was some confusion but everyone was very gracious and we were able to get a room. Everyone was very sympathetic because of the 9/11 bombing. We only stayed there 2 nights, because of a proposed train strike we decided to leave a day early to reach Florence our next destination. If I only had one place to return to in Italy it would be the Cinque Terre. We took the boat tour of
the other 4 villages. Marvelous, quaint,romantic and timeless. The food is indeed fabulous! The pesto the best I had anywhere in Italy. One place we ordered focaccia which was sold by weight. It was heavenly. And the local wine was mighty fine. But I don't know how those Italians can drink that Limone! After everything that was going on
in the US, the uncertainty, staying in Monterosso was the perfect balm, so soothing and peaceful. The historic ambience is amazing. I didn't realize it was a World Heritage Site at the time but having been to others around the world now can certainly attest to its qualifications.
 
Marie Ohanesian-Nardin (Italy):
I've just returned from the Cinque Terre. We stayed in a lovely small (10 Rooms) hotel Luna di Marzo, in the ancient town of Volastra, just above Manarola. What a view, from our room we could see Manarola, Corniglia and in the distance Monterosso al Mare. The hospitality shown us was wonderful! We fell asleep and awoke to the sound of waves, birds chirping and the coolness of the fruit orchards that surround this heavenly spot. We travelled to and from Manarola on the local mini-bus, 5minute ride, walked the very easy "Via del Amore" to Riomaggiore,then took the train and lunched in Vernazza, then onto Monterosso al Mare for a two hour pause on the beach and a dip in the cristal blue waters. We returned to Manarola by boat (25 minutes)to experience the 5 Terre from every point of view. It's spectacular from every angle. Surprisingly for the end of July we didn't find suffocating crowds. The organization for tourism is very good, and with great respect for the environment. We will return! By the way the fish, wine and pesto dishes are divine!
 


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