MANAROLA, Manarola

Hi, my name’s Marcy, and I’m your personal guide. Along with MyWoWo, I’d like to welcome you to one of the Wonders of the World: Manarola.

The name Manarola is believed to derive from the Latin "magna roea", a reference to the large mill wheel you can see along the main street in the center of the village.

In ancient times, such wide streets did not exist. The characteristic, romantic, tower houses and narrow streets were built not just because of the limited space available, but also as a defensive strategy: it was difficult to invade such narrow lanes, barricades could be put up swiftly, and the locals were also able to defend themselves from above.

One of the most interesting buildings here is the church of San Lorenzo, built in 1338 by the people of Manarola and Volastra, a village on the hill, as indicated by a stone marker from the time. The church boasts a splendid rose window with twelve slender radiating columns and, as you can see, the bell tower is separate from the church, because it was originally a watchtower....