Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the grapes from the southwest winds). Smell the rosemary. Study the structure of the town,
andpickoutthescantremainsofanoldfort.NoticetheS-shapeofthemainroad—onceari-
verbed—thatflowsthroughtown.Thetown'sroofsaretraditionallymadeoflocallyquarried
slate, rather than tile, and are held down by rocks during windstorms. As the harbor comes
into view, you'll see the breakwater, added just a decade ago.
Above you on the right are simple wooden religious scenes, the work of local resident
Mario Andreoli. Before his father died, Mario promised him he'd replace the old cross on
the family's vineyard. Mario has been adding figures ever since. After recovering from a
rare illness, he redoubled his efforts. On religious holidays, everything's lit up: the Nativity,
the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, and more. Some of the scenes are left up
year-round.
Highabove,arecentfireburnedoffthetreecover,revealingancientterracesthatlinethe
terrain like a topographic map.
•
Follow this trail all the way to a T-intersection, where it hits the main coastal trail. Turn
left. (A right takes you to the trail to Corniglia, likely closed during your visit.) Before des-
cending back into town, take a right, detouring into...
The Cemetery:
Ever since Napoleon—who was king of Italy in the early
1800s—decreed that cemeteries were health risks, Cinque Terre's burial spots have been
located outside the towns. The result: The dearly departed generally get first-class sea
views.Eachcemetery—withitsevocativeyellowedphotosandfinelycarvedCarraramarble
memorial reliefs—is worth a visit. (The basic structure for all of them is the same, but
Manarola's is the most easily accessible.)
In cemeteries like these, there's a hierarchy of four places to park your mortal remains:
a graveyard, a spacious death condo
(loculo),
a mini bone-niche
(ossario),
or the communal
ossuary. Because of the tight space, a time limit is assigned to the first three options (al-
though many older tombs are grandfathered in). Bones go into the ossuary in the middle of
the chapel floor after about a generation. Traditionally, locals make weekly visits to loved
ones here, often bringing flowers. The rolling stepladder makes access to top-floor
loculi
easy.
• The Manarola cemetery is on Punta Bonfiglio. Take the stairs just below it, then walk
farther out through a park (playground, drinking water, WC, and picnic benches). Your
Manarolafinale:thebenchatthetipofthepoint,offeringoneofthemostcommandingviews
of the entire region. The easiest way back to town is to take the stairs at the end of the point,
which join the main walking path.
