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for her secret recipes—was destroyed, wouldn't be able to reopen. But she rebuilt, and that
beautiful aroma of her sweet cakes again helps locals greet each new day. The motorbike
of Diego's dreams, which he had bought just 10 days before the flood, was buried by the
mud. He excavated it, cleaned it up, and—to the cheers of his friends—it started. The local
civil protection unit is now named for 40-year-old volunteer Sandro Usai, Monterosso's one
death from the flood. Sandro was last seen heroically trying to open up a grate to increase
canaldrainagewhenhewassweptouttosea.Whenhisbodywashedashoreaweeklater,his
funeral was the first time the community stopped working and was silent together. Sandro
posthumously received the highest civilian award the Italian government gives.
Justunderthebelltower(withyourbacktothesea,it'sonyourleft),asetofcoveredar-
cadesfacingtheseaiswheretheold-timers hangout(theyseeallandknowall).Thecrenel-
lated bell tower marks the church.
• Go to church (the entrance is on the inland side).
Church of St. John the Baptist (Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista): This black-and-
white church,with white marble fromCarrara andgreenmarble fromPunte Mesco, istypic-
al of this region's Romanesque style. Note the lacy, stone rose window above the entrance.
It'sas delicate as crochet work,with 18slender mullions (the petals ofthe rose). The marble
stripes get narrower the higher they go, creating the illusion of a church that's taller than it
really is.
Step inside for more Ligurian Gothic: original marble columns and capitals with pointed
arches to match. The octagonal baptismal font (in the back of the church) was carved from
Carrara marble in 1359. Imagine the job getting that from the quarries to here. Nearby is a
wooden statue of St. Anthony, carved about 1400, which once graced a church that stood
atop Punta Mesco. The church itself dates from 1307—see the proud inscription on the
middle column inside: “MilleCCCVII.” Outside the church, on the side facing the main
street, find the high-water mark from a November 1966 flood (the same month as the flood
that devastated Florence). Nearly half a century later, the crippling October 2011 flood hit
Monterosso.Butthechurch'sstatuessurvived,thankstotownspeoplewhocametotheirres-
cue,carryingthemthroughragingwaterstosafety.Later,whentherewasenoughhelpinthe
streets, excess volunteers came into the church and lovingly polished the candlesticks, just
to keep caring for their town.
• Leaving the church, immediately turn left and go to church again.
Oratory of the Dead (Oratorio dei Neri): During the Counter-Reformation, the Cath-
olic Church offset the rising influence of the Lutherans by creating brotherhoods of good
works. These religious Rotary clubs were called “confraternities.” Monterosso had two,
nicknamed White and Black. This building is the oratory of the Black group, whose mis-
sion—as the macabre decor filling the interior indicates—was to arrange for funerals and
takecareofwidows,orphans,theshipwrecked,andthesoulsofthosewhoignoretherequest
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