VERNAZZA
Coming from the west, Vernazza is the second of the Cinque Terre villages, nestled in a bay between the towns of Monterosso al Mare and Riomaggiore. Its landscape is characterized by typical terraced vineyards, a morphological style that, according to one estimate, comprises over 7,000 km of dry stone walls. The area is part of the Cinque Terre National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage site (Portovenere, Cinque Terre, Palmaria Islands, Tino and Tinetto). I
The village, which grew along the Vernazzola stream (now partially covered), which forms its central artery, boasts an exceptionally intact urban fabric, structured into a series of narrow streets and steep stairways. Above the town of Vernazza, at an altitude of 325 meters above sea level, lies the Santctuary of Our Lady of Reggio.
The first documented records of Vernazza date back to a document from 1080, which mentions the castrum Vernatio as the maritime base of the Obertenghi. With the increase in trade and the development of the navy, Vernazza soon became the target of the expansive interests of the Republic of Genoa, which intended to make it one of its coastal bases for the commercial, political, and, above all, territorial conquest of eastern Liguria. A natural act of oath and loyalty to Genoa and its Republic followed, an agreement signed in 1209 by the eighty-eight heads of families in the Vernazza area.
Among its monuments is the Chiesa di Santa Margherita d'Antiochia dedicated to the town's patron saint and a testament to the Antelami school. Begun in 1318, it has three large naves, perfectly preserved inside. It has an entrance on the apse side, and the altar faces east. The octagonal tower is set over the apse. Doria Castle. Its earliest records date back to the 13th century, but the original structure is believed to date back to the 11th century. The cylindrical tower, restored in the 20th century, is the oldest part of the fortification.
CORNIGLIA
Corniglia is located in a central position with respect to the other towns of the Cinque Terre, situated to the east of the town hall of Vernazza (to which it is connected by a suggestive walk located halfway up the hill between the peak and the sea) and of Monterosso, and to the west of Manarola and Riomaggiore. It differs from the other villages in the Cinque Terre in that it is the only village not directly overlooking the sea, but sits atop a promontory about ninety meters high, surrounded by vineyards arranged on characteristic terraces, except on the side facing the sea. The entire village extends along Via Fieschi, the main street that leads from the Chiesa di San Pietro to the panoramic viewpoint of the Santa Maria terrace.
To reach Corniglia from its train station, you must climb a long staircase called Lardarina, consisting of 33 flights of stairs with 377 steps, or walk along the winding Via alla Stazione. From Vernazza, you can reach it by following the path that climbs through farmland and Mediterranean scrub to Prevo (208 meters above sea level). After passing the Guvano landslide and the Rio della Groppa, you descend to Corniglia.
The village's origins date back to Roman times; the name itself likely derives from Gens Cornelia, the family that owned the land. During the Middle Ages, like neighboring villages, it was ruled by the Counts of Lavagna, the Lords of Carpena, and the Bishops of Luni.
In 1254, Pope Innocent IV persuaded William, Bishop of Luni, to cede possession to Nicolò Fieschi, who held it until 1276, when, defeated by Oberto Doria, he was forced to transfer control to the Republic of Genova...
FOLLO ALTO
Follo Alto è una frazione di circa 300 abitanti nel comune di Follo, nella bassa Val di Vara, in provincia della Spezia. Sorge su un'altura posizionata a nord est rispetto alla Valle del Durasca, in linea d'aria con Tivegna; nella pianura sottostante vi sono Piano di Follo e Piana Battolla, costeggiata dal fiume Vara.
Follo Alto is a hamlet of about 300 inhabitants in the municipality of Follo, in the lower Vara Valley, in the province of La Spezia. It sits on a hill northeast of the Durasca Valley, as the crow flies from Tivegna; the plain below is Piano di Follo and Piana Battolla, bordered by the Vara River.
The origins of Follo Alto are ancient, and even the date and reason for its founding are known: in January 950, Ildeberto d'Isola requested land from the then Bishop of Luni, Adelberto, in Monte di Gruppina, where a castle had already been built, bordering the public road and the Via de Sancto Martino. In the village, there are numerous traces of fortifications, parts of the walls, and a still intact tower.
The Church of Chiesa di San Leonardo Abate was built in 1600. The church is a Catholic place of worship located in the hamlet of Follo Alto in the municipality of Follo and is the seat of the parish of the same name in the Alta Val di Magra vicariate of the Diocese of La Spezia-Sarzana-Brugnato. Built in the 17th century on the highest peak of the town, it houses several valuable paintings, including an 18th-century oval painting of the Assumption, a 17th-century Crucifixion of Jesus, and an 18th-century oil-on-slate Madonna of the Rosary and Saints...
