The most romantic hiking trail in Cinque Terre has been closed for 12 years and will be reopened to visitors due to new safety measures.
The trail named Via dell’Amore (The Way of Love) is reopening in Italy on July 27, 12 years after the landslide in September 2012, when four Australian tourists were injured, highlighting the urgent need for renovations and increased safety measures in the area, according to the BBC.
The 800-meter trail, carved into steep cliffs with breathtaking views of the Ligurian Sea, has a 104-year history and a future that crucially depends on the conservation of the coastal landscapes in Italy.
Before its closure in 2012, this amazing trail was one of the most popular in the network of 130 km of paths that traverse the "five lands" that give Cinque Terre its name; connecting colorful medieval villages from Riomaggiore to Manarola.
Today, Riomaggiore and Manarola - "vertical" villages perched on majestic cliffs, with overlapping houses - attract millions of tourists. But originally, they were simple farming settlements navigating the sea (not fishermen, as commonly believed), connected only by an ancient path over a steep ridge, so difficult to cross that communication was rare. The inhabitants of the two tiny villages spoke different dialects.
However, during the construction of the railway between the cities of Genoa and La Spezia in the late 19th century, portions of a stone path were carved into the rock for the workers and mules transporting materials and explosives.
Fabrizia Pecunia, the current mayor of Riomaggiore, explains: "They saw this piece of road on the Riomaggiore side and another portion on the Manarola side and said to themselves, 'Why not create a connection?' The construction of the new pedestrian trail began in 1920 and was completed about 11 years later. My grandfather Brizio Bonanini was one of the people who built it," says Pecunia. "And I am so proud of him."
With stunning views of the sea at sunset and a dramatic rocky landscape above the waves crashing about 30 meters below, this flat and easy-to-walk trail has become an ideal and practical spot for meetings, not far from the medieval town centers of the villages.
Then, an anonymous person wrote "Via dell'Amore" on the rocky wall, thus giving the path its romantic name. Fifty years later, in the 1970s, local authorities installed benches dedicated to mythological figures of passion, from Cupid to Eros.
The Minister of Tourism, Daniela Santanchè, who will inaugurate the trail at the end of this month, explains why the reopening took so long: "Have you seen Liguria? It is a narrow region that rises steeply from the sea. We had to exploit the entire mountain and ensure that everything is completely safe."
"It cost a total of 22 million euros," adds the mayor, describing how the various local and national entities involved had to raise funds, agree on a plan, go through all the bureaucracy, and ultimately build a system of harnesses, nets, and anchors to prevent rock falls and protect the trail, without ruining its natural beauty.
"And now, if you go, you will fall in love with it," says Santanchè. "It's no coincidence it's called the Path of Love."
Visitors will be able to walk the trail again starting on July 27, by booking their ticket online or at the park ticket offices. A maximum of 400 people will be allowed to walk the trail per hour - a new policy aimed at limiting overcrowding - and the park, one of the smallest but most densely populated in Italy, with 4,000 residents on an area of 3,800 hectares, hopes to monitor the number of visitors and inform tourists about the park's crowding level.
How to Visit Cinque Terre
The "five lands" - Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore - are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park, included in the UNESCO list, and are intertwined with 48 trails of varying intensity.
The most convenient way to explore is by using the Cinque Terre Express trains, which run every 20 minutes and pass through all five towns. The villages can also be visited by ferry. Four of the park's trails are now accessible to people with disabilities.