Vernazza (Ligurian: Vernassa, locally Vernasa; Latin: Vulnetia) is a town and comune located in the province of La Spezia, Liguria, northwestern Italy. It is one of the five towns that make up the Cinque Terre region. Vernazza is the fourth town heading north, has no car traffic, and remains one of the truest "fishing villages" on the Italian Riviera. It is the only natural port of Cinque Terre and is famous for its elegant houses.[3]
Vernazza's name is derived from the Latin adjective verna, meaning "native". The aptly named indigenous wine, vernaccia ("local" or "ours"), helped give birth to the village's name. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy").[4]
History
The first records recognizing Vernazza as a fortified town date to 1080. Referred to as an active maritime base of the Obertenghi, a family of Italian nobility, it was a likely point of departure for naval forces in defence from pirates.[5]
Tower of Castello Dorio
Over the next two centuries, Vernazza was vital in Republic of Genoa's conquest of Liguria, providing port, fleet, and soldiers. In 1209, approximately 90 of the most powerful families of Vernazza pledged their allegiance to the republic of Genova.
View from the south
The first documented presence of a church dates to 1251, with the parish of San Pietro cited in 1267. Reference to the Church of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia of Vernazza occurs in 1318. Some scholars[who?] are of the opinion, due to the use of materials and mode of construction, that the actual creation of the Church of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia took place earlier, some time in the 12th century. The Church of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia was expanded upon and renovated over the course of the 16th and 17th centuries, and thereafter was erected the octagonal bell tower that rises from the apse.
In the 15th century, Vernazza focused its defence against the dreadful and regularly occurring pirate raids, erecting a fortifying wall. In the mid-17th century, like many of the Cinque Terre villages, Vernazza suffered a period of decline that negatively affected wine production, and prolonged the construction of the trail system and harbour molo (mole constructed to protect against heavy seas).
In the 19th century, after a long period of stagnation, Vernazza returned to wine production, enlarging and creating new terraced hillsides. The result was a revitalisation of Vernazza's commerce. Also at this time, the construction of the Genoa–La Spezia rail line began, putting an end to Vernazza's long isolation. The population of Vernazza increased by 60% as a result. Meanwhile, the construction of La Spezia's naval base also proved important to Vernazza in providing employment for many members of the community.
With the arrival of the 20th century, Vernazza experienced a wave of emigration as working the land was viewed as dangerous and the cause of disease, and the ability to further exploit agriculture diminished.
In 1997, the Cinque Terre was recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and in 1999 the National Park of the Cinque Terre was created. Today the main source of revenue for Vernazza is tourism. However, as a testimony to the strength of centuries-old tradition, fishing, wine and olive oil production still continue.
On 25 October 2011, Vernazza was struck by torrential rains, massive flooding, and mudslides affecting not only Cinque Terre, but also Val di Vara and Val di Magra within Liguria, as well as the province of Lunigiana. The flood left the town buried in over 4 metres of mud and debris (submerging even the train station in mud), causing over 100 million euro worth of damage. The town was evacuated and remained in a state of emergency for many months.[6]
Main sights
Church of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia, c. 1318. Unique for its east-facing entryway, it has a nave and two aisles, with an octagonal bell tower rising from the apse area, and is located in the town's main square Piazza Marconi.
Church of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia
Doria Castle - built in the 15th century as a lookout tower to protect the village from pirates.
Sanctuary of Madonna di Reggio Santuario di Nostra Signora di Reggio, about an hour's steep walk above Vernazza. The path that leads up to the sanctuary is punctuated with the Stations of the Cross. The surrounding property of the sanctuary contains a large shady open area, expansive views of the hillside vineyards and coast.
Chapel of Santa Marta, tiny stone chapel along Vernazza's main street, Via Roma. Mass celebrated on special Sundays.
Vernazza's beach is off Piazza Marconi, within the protected harbour on the northwestern side.
Tourists can use the local trail which connects all five towns of the Cinque Terre.
In popular culture
The 2016 video game Hitman features a fictional town called Sapienza which is heavily influenced by Vernazza,[7][8] including iconic sites such as the Chapel of Santa Marta and the Doria Castle.
The 2015 Video game Just Cause 3 features a fictional town called Manaea which is based on the Vernazza.
The 2021 animated film Luca was inspired by Vernazza and other Cinque Terre towns. Pixar animators visited Vernazza, and based the piazza of Portorosso on Vernazza's in particular.[9]
The Italian Riviera or Ligurian Riviera is the narrow coastal strip in Italy which lies between the Ligurian Sea and the mountain chain formed by the Maritime Alps and the Apennines. Longitudinally it extends from the border with France and the French Riviera near Ventimiglia eastwards to Capo Corvo which marks the eastern end of the Gulf of La Spezia and is close to the regional border between Liguria and Tuscany. The Italian Riviera thus includes nearly all of the coastline of Liguria. Historically the "Riviera" extended further to the west, through what is now French territory as far as Marseille.
La Spezia is the capital city of the province of La Spezia and is located at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the southern part of the Liguria region of Italy.
The Cinque Terre are a coastal area within Liguria, in the northwest of Italy. It lies in the west of La Spezia Province, and comprises five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Vernazza is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia.
Riomaggiore is a village and comune in the province of La Spezia, situated in a small valley in the Liguria region of Italy. It is the first of the Cinque Terre villages one encounters when travelling north from La Spezia.
Tellaro is a small fishing village, perched on a cliff on the east coast of the Gulf of La Spezia in Liguria, northern Italy. It is a frazione of the comune (municipality) of Lerici. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia.
The province of La Spezia is a province in the Liguria region of Italy. Its capital is the city of La Spezia.
Porto Venere is a town and comune (municipality) located on the Ligurian coast of Italy in the province of La Spezia. It comprises the three villages of Fezzano, Le Grazie and Porto Venere, and the three islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto. In 1997 Porto Venere and the villages of Cinque Terre were designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Deiva Marina is a small Italian comune in the province of La Spezia, located about 65 kilometres (40 mi) east of the city of Genoa on the Riviera di Levante. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia.
Manarola is a small town, a frazione of the comune (municipality) of Riomaggiore, in the province of La Spezia, Liguria, Northern Italy. It is the second-smallest of the famous Cinque Terre towns frequented by tourists, with a population of 353.
Monterosso al Mare is a town and comune in the province of La Spezia, part of the region of Liguria, Northern Italy. It is one of the five villages in Cinque Terre.
Corniglia is a frazione ("hamlet") within the comune of Vernazza in the province of La Spezia, Liguria, northern Italy, with a population of about 150. Unlike the other localities of the Cinque Terre, Corniglia is not directly adjacent to the sea. Instead, it is on the top of a promontory about 100 metres high, surrounded on three sides by vineyards and terraces, the fourth side descends steeply to the sea. To reach Corniglia, it is necessary to climb the Lardarina, a long brick flight of steps composed of 33 flights with 383 steps or, otherwise follow a vehicular road that, from the station, leads to the village. Sometimes a small bus runs.
Moneglia is a comune (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Genoa in the Italian region Liguria, located about 50 kilometres southeast of Genoa. It is a tourist resort on the Riviera di Levante. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia.
Riccò del Golfo di Spezia is a comune (municipality) in the Province of La Spezia in the Italian region Liguria, located about 80 kilometres (50 mi) southeast of Genoa and about 10 kilometres (6 mi) northeast of La Spezia.
Levanto is a comune (municipality) in the province of La Spezia, in the Italian region of Liguria, located almost 90 kilometres (56 mi) southeast of Genoa and about 20 kilometres (12 mi) northwest of La Spezia.
Cinque Terre National Park is a protected area inducted as an Italian national park in 1999. Located in the province of La Spezia, Liguria, northern Italy, it is the smallest national park in Italy at 4,300 acres, but also the densest with 5,000 permanent inhabitants among the five towns. In addition to the territory of the towns of Cinque Terre, the Cinque Terre National Park encompasses parts of the communes of Levanto and La Spezia. Cinque Terre was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.
The Genoa–Pisa railway is one of the trunk lines of the Italian railway network. It runs along the Ligurian coast from Genoa to Pisa through the Riviera di Levante and the Versilia. It passes through the cities of Massa, Carrara and La Spezia. South of Pisa the Pisa–Rome line continues along the Tyrrhenian coast to Rome. The line is double track and is fully electrified at 3,000 V DC. Passenger traffic is managed by Trenitalia.
Cinque Terre is a small DOC white wine region in Liguria, North Italy. The DOC was granted in 1973 and production is limited to the coastal areas of the Cinque Terre in the Province of La Spezia, and specifically to the territories of the communes of Riomaggiore, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare, together with two adjacent areas within the commune of La Spezia: Tramonti di Biassa and Tramonti di Campiglia.
Vernazza railway station is located on the Genoa–Pisa railway, Italy. It serves Vernazza, which is one of the five towns of the Cinque Terre.
Corniglia railway station is located on the Genoa–Pisa railway, Italy. It serves Corniglia, which is one of the five towns of the Cinque Terre.
Monterosso railway station is located on the Genoa–Pisa railway, Italy. It serves Monterosso al Mare, which is one of the five towns of the Cinque Terre.
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