Click on the photos to discover the history of the Cinque Terre.
MONTEROSSO
177 B.C. - End of the 2nd Punic War
The Romans defeat Hannibal. The Ligurians, his allies, are forced to migrate into the Samnium region. According to legend, the area of the Cinque Terre was awarded to victorious patrician families from Rome: the Rubri, Vulnetii, and Cornelii.
1st century B.C.
The earliest community forms in the small village of Albereto, now a part of Monterosso. Roman tombs discovered in the 19th century near the Santuario di Soviore testify to this era.
629 A.D.
The Longobard king Rothari invades Liguria and sacks Albereto and Soviore. The local population flees to the sea and find refuge in a castle on San Cristoforo hill, whose reddish earth will later give the settlement its name.
27 February 1056
Marchese Guido degli Obertenghi draws up a deed of donation: this is the first historic document in which the name of "Monte Russo" (> Monterosso) appears.
1307
Completion of the parish church of San Giovanni Battista, whose construction began in the 13th century: the population gradually moves down into the valley and begins to inhabit the current town.
1815
The Republic of Genoa is annexed by the Kingdom of Sardinia. The Cinque Terre, though remaining geographically isolated, experience a certain degree of economic revival.
1874
The railway is completed between Genoa and La Spezia, ending the area's centuries of isolation.
1997
UNESCO declares Monterosso and the rest of the Cinque Terre a "World Heritage site".
VERNAZZA
177 B.C. - End of the 2nd Punic War
The Romans defeat Hannibal. The Ligurians, his allies, are forced to migrate into the Samnium region. According to legend, the area of the Cinque Terre was awarded to victorious patrician families from Rome: the Rubri, Vulnetii, and Cornelii.
1000 A.D.
The inhabitants of the small community that has grown up around the church of Reggio leave their settlement: some head inland, others towards the coast, founding Vernazza.
29 February 1050
Vernazza is named for the first time in a historical document.
1254
The town comes under the control of the Fieschi family, which turns it into a fortified base to defend against attacks by Saracen pirates.
1276
Vernazza is sold to the Republic of Genoa. A harbour is built for the galleys used in battles with Pisa, and it is becomes a shipyard that can boast the finest shipwrights in Liguria.
16th-17th centuries
An economy equally divided between agriculture, fishing, and sea trade makes the village the wealthiest in the Cinque Terre.
1815
The Republic of Genoa is annexed by the Kingdom of Sardinia. The Cinque Terre, though remaining geographically isolated, experience a certain degree of economic revival.
1874
The railway is completed between Genoa and La Spezia, ending the area's centuries of isolation.
1997
UNESCO declares Monterosso and the rest of the Cinque Terre a "World Heritage site".
CORNIGLIA
177 B.C. - End of the 2nd Punic War
The Romans defeat Hannibal. The Ligurians, his allies, are forced to migrate into the Samnium region. According to legend, the area of the Cinque Terre was awarded to victorious patrician families from Rome: the Rubri, Vulnetii, and Cornelii.
1244
Corniglia is named for the first time in a historical document.
1254
Due to the support of Pope Innocent IV, the town comes under the control of the Fieschi family.
1276
Corniglia is sold to the Republic of Genoa.
1556
The Republic decides to build a fort and a circle of walls to defend the village, which has been repeatedly sacked "by infidels and pirates". The ruins of this fortress can still be seen in the upper part of town.
1815
The Republic of Genoa is annexed by the Kingdom of Sardinia. The Cinque Terre, though remaining geographically isolated, experience a certain degree of economic revival.
1874
The railway is completed between Genoa and La Spezia, ending the area's centuries of isolation.
1997
UNESCO declares Corniglia and the rest of the Cinque Terre a "World Heritage site".
MANAROLA
109 B.C.
The first settlement is built in the hills of Volastra, a waystation used by the Romans to change horses along the high coastal road that predated the Via Aurelia.
12th century
The population moves down towards the sea, founding a new coastal settlement.
1244
"Manaiola" is referred to in a will.
1254
The town passes under the control of the Fieschi family, which builds a fort, one bastion of which still survives on the sheer cliff above the sea.
1272
The Ghibellines come to power in Genoa, and the Fieschi are expelled. Four years later the town passes into the hands of Genoa, and from this time on it follows the vicissitudes of this Republic.
15th-16th centuries
Manarola is often the target of raids by Saracen pirates.
1815
The Republic of Genoa is annexed by the Kingdom of Sardinia. The Cinque Terre, though remaining geographically isolated, experience a certain degree of economic revival.
1874
The railway is completed between Genoa and La Spezia, ending the area's centuries of isolation.
1997
UNESCO declares Monterosso and the rest of the Cinque Terre a "World Heritage site".
RIOMAGGIORE
8th century
According to local legend (though this is not supported by historical sources) a group of Greek refugees fleeing persecution by Emperor Leo III land at Cape Montenero and settle halfway up the coast, forming small scattered communities.
1254
The town comes under the control of the Fieschi family.
1276
Riomaggiore is sold to the Republic of Genoa, but remains under the influence of the Fieschi: a period of political stability begins in which the town prospers from maritime and merchant traffic.
1577
Riomaggiore is the town that produces the most wine.
1815
The Republic of Genoa is annexed by the Kingdom of Sardinia. The Cinque Terre, though remaining geographically isolated, experience a certain degree of economic revival.
1874
The railway is completed between Genoa and La Spezia, ending the area's centuries of isolation.
1997
UNESCO declares Monterosso and the rest of the Cinque Terre a "World Heritage site".
