A UNESCO heritage site since 1997, together with the Cinque Terre and the nearby islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto, this small village may have existed even six centuries before Christ. It was an important harbor in the Medieval age, hosting the Bizantine fleet before the 7th century and being the commercial outpost of St. Columban's monks from Bobbio. Later, it became a military settlement under the government of the Genovese Republic. Its main attractions are the gothic church of St. Peter and the impressive Doria castle, symbol of the Genovese supremacy on Eastern Liguria. On the Western edge of the village lies the so-called Byron's cave, a rocky cove flanked by a sea cave.

The most western and populous of Cinque Terre; its foundation could be dated in the 9th century. In the 13th, Monterosso was contended between the rival forces of Genova and Pisa, being finally occupied by the first. In 1545 it was severely damaged, like most coastal villages in Italy, by a Turkish attack. The remaining of the castle keep the traces of these conflicts, featuring three round towers, the square "Torre Aurora" on the cliff and the medieval tower in the village centre.

The second of the Cinque Terre coming from the West, it was one of the main coastal villages in the area even in the 11th century. During the rivalry between the republics of Genova and Pisa, in the 13th century, Vernazza was the only harbor whose configuration could fit the docking of Genovese battleships.

The third and central of Cinque Terre, it is the only one not standing on the sea level , but on a 90 metres high cliff. The ancient village can be reached by the railway station underneath by a small street or via 382 steps!

The fourth of the Cinque Terre was born around the fortress, whose structure is still visible, founded by inhabitants of the nearby village of Volastra to exploit the marine resources. Inside the village stands the beautiful cathedral of San Lorenzo, in Genovese Gothic style. Nowadays, Manarola is well known for its luminous Christmas Nativity, created by a retired railwayman.

The last and most Eastern of the Cinque Terre, whose name means "Large river": the very first core of the village actually stood on a creek with the same name, near the sea. Like the other towns nearby, Riomaggiore grew under the government of the Genovese Republic, in the late Medieval age.