Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Atthecorneracrossfromtheplayground,onamarbleplaqueinthewallontheleft,you'll
see a...
World Wars Monument:
This is dedicated to those killed in the World Wars. Not
a family in Vernazza was spared. Listed on the left are soldiers
morti in combattimento,
who died in World War I; on the right is the World War II section. Some were deported
to
Germania;
others—labeled
Part
(stands for
partigiani,
or partisans, generally commun-
ists)—were killed while fighting against Mussolini. Cynics considered partisans less than
heroes. After 1943, Hitler called up Italian boys over 15. Rather than die on the front for
Hitler, they escaped to the hills. They became “resistance fighters” in order to remain free.
The path to Corniglia leaves from here (behind and above the plaque). Behind you is a
smallsquareandplayground,decoratedwiththreemillstones,onceusedtogrindlocalolives
into oil. There's a good chance you'll see an expat mom here at the village playground with
her kids. I've met many American women who fell in love with a local guy, stayed, and are
nowhappily raising families here. (But I'verarely met anAmerican guywhomoved inwith
a local girl.)
From here, Vernazza's tiny river goes underground. Until the 1950s, the river ran openly
through the center of town. Old-timers recall the days before the breakwater, when the river
cascaded down and the surf sent waves rolling up Vernazza's main drag. Back then, this
place was nicknamed “Little Venice” for the series of romantic bridges that arched over the
stream, connecting the two sides of the town before the main road was built.
Corralling this stream under the modern street, and forcing it to take a hard right turn
here,contributedtothedamagecausedbythe2011flood.Followingtheflood,alpineengin-
eers were imported from Switzerland to redesign this drainage system, so any future floods
willbelessdestructive.Theyalsoputnetsabovethetowntoprotectitfrommorelandslides.
Before the flood, the walls under the tracks served as a community information center,
withhistoricphotosoftheoldtown,mapsshowingtrailsinthehills,alistoflocalvolunteers
and when they are on call to drive the ambulance, and an events board. Look around here
for photos of the flood and the shops that it devastated. “The 25th of October” is a day that
willliveforeverinthistown'slore.Thesecondsetoftracks(nearertheharbor)wasrecently
renovated to lessen the disruptive noise, but locals say it made no difference.
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Follow the road downhill to...
Vernazza's“BusinessCenter”:
Here,you'llpassmanylocalsdoingtheir
vasche
(laps).
Next, you'll pass souvenir shops, wine shops, the Blue Marlin Bar (Vernazza's top night-
spot), and the tiny Chapel of Santa Marta (the small stone chapel with iron grillwork over
the window), where Mass is celebrated only on special Sundays. Farther down, you'll walk
by a
gelateria,
bakery, pharmacy, a grocery, and another
gelateria
. There are plenty of fun
and cheap food-to-go options here.
