Corniglia Cinque Terre Italy

Corniglia Cinque Terre
Corniglia, which is part of the Municipality of Vernazza, is the central town of the 5 villages of Cinque Terre and it has a population of less than 300 inhabitants. It is located in a upper position by the sea, at the top of a steep cliff, ant it is the only town in Cinque Terre without a direct access to the sea.
The town of Corniglia is surrounded by suggestive and typical terraced fields (called “fasce” in local dialect) where since ever inhabitants grow grapevine and produce the typical local white wine, already present here in Roman times. The history Corniglia dates back to Roman times; probably the name “Corniglia“ comes from “gens Cornelia”, one of the families that had the zone under their control. During the Middle Ages the whole area passed under the domination of the Earls of Lavagna, who were afterwards supplanted by Family Fieschi. The main road of town, around which the town is developed, is dedicated to this family: the road, leading to the parish church of Saint Peter and to the panoramic terrace of Saint Mary, is the one in which our Apartment “Stella Marina” is located, at the number 33. The Parish church dedicated to Saint Peter, a typical example of Ligurian Gothic style, which dominates the main square of Corniglia, dates back to the 14th Century, and it was built on the remains of a prior building (probably dating back to the 11th Century). Not to miss are the celebrations of 29th June, Saint Peter, when you will be able to taste the specialties prepared by the women of the town.
Nearby the parish church the remains of the old sighting tower erected by the Genoese during the 16th Century are still visible. From Saint Mary’s Terrace, reachable through Via Fieschi, you can enjoy a wonderful panorama over the sea until Manarola and the “Nostra Signora delle Grazie” Sanctuary in San Bernardino. Near the terrace, you will be able to see the Oratory of saint Catherine, a wonderful theatre stage among the houses. From this part of the town it is possible to reach the Marina of Corniglia. A really hard access to town is the famous staircase “Lardarina”, starting from the railway station area, with 22 flights and 377 steps. To the opposite part of the town, direction Vernazza, you can see the famous pebbly beach of Guvano.