Vernazza
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Vernazza (, locally ; ) is a town and located in the
province of La Spezia The province of La Spezia (; Ligurian language, Ligurian: ''provinsa dea Spèza'') is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Liguria region of Italy. Its capital is the city of La Spezia. Overview It has an area of and, , a total population o ...
,
Liguria Liguria (; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is roughly coextensive with ...
, northwestern
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. It is one of the five towns that make up the
Cinque Terre The Cinque Terre (; ; meaning 'Five Lands') is 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 Riomaggio ...
region. Vernazza is the fourth town heading north, has no car traffic, and remains one of the truest "fishing villages" on the
Italian Riviera 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 F ...
. It is the only natural port of Cinque Terre and is famous for its elegant houses. Vernazza's name is derived from the Latin adjective , 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 () is a non-profit private association of small Italian towns of strong historical and artistic interest, that was founded in March 2001 on the initiative of the Tourism Council of the National Association of Italian Municipalities, with the a ...
("The most beautiful villages of Italy").


History

The first records recognizing Vernazza as a fortified town date to 1080. Referred to as an active maritime base of the
Obertenghi The House of Obertenghi were a prominent Italian noble family of Longobard origin descended from Viscount Adalbert III, first Margrave of Milan. History The family held the titles of Marquis of Milan and Genoa, Count of Luni, Tortona, Genoa ...
, a family of Italian nobility, it was a likely point of departure for naval forces in defence from pirates. Over the next two centuries, Vernazza was vital in
Republic of Genoa The Republic of Genoa ( ; ; ) was a medieval and early modern Maritime republics, maritime republic from the years 1099 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italy, Italian coast. During the Late Middle Ages, it was a major commercial power in ...
's conquest of
Liguria Liguria (; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is roughly coextensive with ...
, providing port, fleet, and soldiers. In 1209, approximately 90 of the most powerful families of Vernazza pledged their allegiance to the republic of Genova. 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 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 World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
by
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
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.


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. * 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 Contract killing (also known as murder-for-hire) is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or people. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of compensation, moneta ...
'' features a fictional town called
Sapienza The Sapienza University of Rome (), formally the Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza", abbreviated simply as Sapienza ('Wisdom'), is a public research university located in Rome, Italy. It was founded in 1303 and is as such one of the ...
which is heavily influenced by Vernazza, including iconic sites such as the Chapel of Santa Marta and the Doria Castle. The 2015 Video game ''
Just Cause 3 ''Just Cause 3'' is a 2015 action-adventure game developed by Avalanche Studios and published by Square Enix's European subsidiary. It is the third game in the ''Just Cause'' series and the sequel to 2010's '' Just Cause 2''. It was released w ...
'' features a fictional town called Manaea which is based on the Vernazza. The 2021 animated film ''
Luca Luca or LUCA may refer to: People * Luca (masculine given name), including a list of people * Luca (feminine given name), including a list of people * Luca (surname), including a list of people Places * The ancient name of Lucca, an Etruscan ...
'' was inspired by Vernazza and other Cinque Terre towns. Pixar animators visited Vernazza, and based the piazza of Portorosso on Vernazza's in particular.


Gallery

File:Vernazza Italy Panoramic.jpg, Panorama File:Vernazza Panorama.jpg, View from the harbor wall File:Vernazza cinque terre italy.jpg File:Spezia_vernazza.jpg File:Cinqueterre0005.jpg File:Vernazza_15_bordercropped.jpg File:Vernazza_-_view.jpg File:Vernazza-2017-Luka-Peternel.jpg, View of Vernazza


Notes


External links

*
Pictures of Vernazza

Three panoramas of Vernazza

Cinque Terre slideshow with 50 pictures
{{Authority control Cinque Terre Coastal towns in Liguria Italian Riviera Fishing communities World Heritage Sites in Italy Borghi più belli d'Italia 1861 establishments in Italy