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 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 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.