Cinque Terre: Vernazza

The first documented reports of Vernazza are dated back to an act of 1080 where it is mentioned the "castrum Vernatioquale" as a maritime base of Obertenghi who were lords of Vernazza in the XI and XII. Probably they used the natural harbor as a point of departure of ships to defend themselves against the assaults of Saracen pirates and the first trade.

Among the most important monuments there is the Church of St. Margaret of Antioch which is dedicated to the patron saint of the village. It has three naves perfectly preserved in the interior, has an entrance on the side of the apse and the altar is oriented toward the east. Another one is the Castle, built in 1080 when the country was already fortified, but over the centuries it was expanded and structured together with other fortifications, as sufficient defense system. Irregularly shaped, it adheres to the rock on which it was built.

Vernazza has a typical Mediterranean vegetation with olive trees and grapevines: the products of the Cinque Terre such as wine, olive oil, pesto, anchovies, lemon, are excellent here, too. In this environment, grapes are selected which produce the delicious local white wine and the "Sciacchetrà", the famous fortified wine of the area.