In the Middle Ages "terra" (land) had the meaning of "town": indeed this piece of rocky coast is formed by five towns, called Cinque Terre (five lands).
From the archaeological discoveries we know that men lived on this coast since remote ages; we have traces as objects, jewels and ornated shells. Since ancient times, therefore, the men have had to work in order to built, in a narrow space, houses and churches, villages and fields.
Today the five small villages (Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore) are connected one to each other by narrow and winding roads, but also by the railroad, surely more comfortable, and by romantic paths, from where the wonderful panorama of the coast can be admired.
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