Cinque Terre: Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore is the first place you reach, starting off from La Spezia and presents itself to its tourists with the typical tiered structure.

We have the first news of Riomaggiore only in 1251, when the inhabitants of the district of Carpena, spread along the coast, swore faith to the Republic of Genova. Between 1200 and 1300 the inhabitants of these settlements decided to go down towards the sea and give life to the village. A movement which was favoured by the consolidation of the Genoese rule which allowed a more tranquil access to the sea in which commerce could develop quickly and safely. Riomaggiore boasts monuments of great interest, among which San Giovanni Battista, a church erected in 1340 with three central naves, and the central one twice the size of the side ones (as all the other churches of the Cinque Terre), and the Oratorio di Santa Maria Assunta which holds a Trittico from the XV century and a wooden statue from 1300 representing the Madonna (Maria). Also important is the Castello (castle) which dominates the historical centre, also known as Castellazzo di Cercò.

Riomaggiore is the ideal place to spend the holidays surrounded by nature and in a landscape like a postcard. It’s worldwide famous for the path number 2, which runs between the village and Manarola and takes the name of Via dell’Amore.