Route 531-532-532c-GRO
Length 2.5 h
Difficulty Medium

The trail runs through the old paths connecting the village of Riomaggiore with surrounding villages. Visitors will be accompanied by the memories and the experiences of the people who walked this trail on a daily basis.

Along the trail you will read the information provided by a project of Collettivo Parisse and the municipality of Riomaggiore, which made it possible to collect the memories of the people who used this path on a daily basis.



The baptistery is on the left corner inside the church. The carved white marble artefact beneath it features the inscription "Comunitas Manarolae" (Community of Manarola) and was once used as a standard measure for wine. The square facing the Church has been the first covering of the river, although initially it only covered the area in front of the Church and the Oratory. Annals report regular flooding of the area and in the aftermath of such events villagers used to collect eels on the square and in the church too.

Given its first original use as defence tower, the Belltower is separated from the church. As a matter of fact, in the 16th century, attacks by Barbary Pirates from Northern Africa were far from unusual in Liguria.
People living outside the walled village, fled into this building during pirate attacks, such as the unsuccessful one guided by Dragut in 1545. During WWII, a law established that bells had to be donated to the Nation for war purposes and thus, 2 out of 4 of these bells were planned to be removed. Fortunately, the sudden evolving of war events leading to the end of Fascism, managed villagers to save the 4 original bells.

There are two carved faces on the steps of the Oratory of Disciplinati representing two military figures: one is Mussolini and the other one is the King, as indicated by the inscription on his helmet. Enjoy your search...

The sacristy on the side of the Church was built in the 19th century and features an interesting detail. The lower right angle has been made with a marble livestock manger.
The bell above the Sacristy was installed in 1891 and used to be rung 15 minutes before masses to invite people to hurry up.


The building next to the fountain, realized in 1868, was once used as a Hospital for the needy ones, and its expenses were sustained by the whole community. Until the late 18th century, the ground floor hosted the local Court.


At the crossroads between Via dei Mulini and Via Rollandi, on the opposite side of the bridge, there is the first of the 5 mills once working in the village: the Barani mill. On the left of the terrace you can see the conduit taking water to the wheel, now destroyed.


Start of path #531 to Corniolo-Riomaggiore or Groppo (532C).

On the hill called Corniolo you can see the whole Riomaggiore area, from Volastra on the West to the Sanctuary of Montenero on the East. During WWII, right below the Sanctuary, on the point of Montenero, a gun battery (called Racchia) was installed by the Germans to defend the coastline.
In the days preceding the end of the war, just before abandoning the guns to the winners, Germans decided to have some fun before leaving and tried to bomb the village of Volastra from Racchia gun battery. Luckily, the shape of this hill obstructed the line and Volastra was spared. As much can't be said for the vineyard in this area...

Crossroads with trail 502, possible deviation to Megalithic trail.



This fountain was once used as a water source by the villagers of Volastra, the only village in the area without a river.


Tradition tells that the memorial stone at the beginning of the path to Porciana is a funeral monument dedicated to two officers of the Army of the Genoa Republic who died here during a battle in 1273. At that time, Volastra was part of the principality of Carpena, a village in the valley behind us. During the campaign in eastern Riviera in 1273, the Genoese troops guided by Nicolò Fieschi started the siege on the castle of Carpena by destroying the village of Volastra.

The village of Volastra was founded as a village around the year 1100, when wine making started in this area. Though, in Roman age, the place hosted a way station for horses, since it was located along the main coastal road between Luni and Genoa. Toponymy still recalls this presence: as a matter of fact, this part of the village is still called Stalle. Later, due to the raids of Saracen pirates, the whole coastal area was abandoned and the population fled to the inner valleys until that peril ceased.

A legend has it that the inhabitants of Volastra, during one pirate raid in the 16th century, buried the bells and other valuables to protect them from pirates. Though, once the danger had ended, they didn't manage to find the buried bells and people say that during stormy nights you can still hear the sound of those bells.


This bridge crosses the Rio Finale River. Historically, this has always been the border between the property of Manarola and Riomaggiore.


On the hill called Corniolo you can see the whole Riomaggiore area, from Volastra on the West to the Sanctuary of Montenero on the East. During WWII, right below the Sanctuary, on the point of Montenero, a gun battery was installed by the Germans to defend the coastline.
In the days preceding the end of the war, just before abandoning the guns to the winners, Germans decided to have some fun before leaving and tried to bomb the village of Volastra from Racchia gun battery. Luckily, the shape of this hill obstructed the line and Volastra was spared. As much can't be said for the vineyard in this area...

Crossing with path #502, Megalithic Trail



This fountain was once used as a water source by the villagers of Volastra, the only village in the area without a river.


Tradition tells that the memorial stone at the beginning of the path to Porciana is a funeral monument dedicated to two officers of the Army of the Genoa Republic who died here during a battle in 1273. At that time, Volastra was part of the principality of Carpena, a village in the valley behind us. During the campaign in eastern Riviera in 1273, the Genoese troops guided by Nicolò Fieschi started the siege on the castle of Carpena by destroying the village of Volastra.

The village of Volastra was founded as a village around the year 1100, when wine making started in this area. Though, in Roman age, the place hosted a way station for horses, since it was located along the main coastal road between Luni and Genoa. Toponymy still recalls this presence: in fact, a part of the village is still called Stalle. Later, due to the raids of Saracen pirates, the whole coastal area was abandoned and the population fled to the inner valleys until that peril ceased.

A legend has it that that the inhabitants of Volastra, during one pirate raid of 16th century, buried the bells and other valuables to protect them from pirates. Though, once the danger had ended, they didn't manage to find the buried bells and people say that during stormy nights you can still hear the sound of those bells.

A legend has it that the inhabitants of Volastra, during one pirate raid in the 16th century, buried the bells and other valuables to protect them from pirates. Though, once the danger had ended, they didn't manage to find the buried bells and people say that during stormy nights you can still hear the sound of those bells.

The village of Volastra was founded as a village around the year 1100, when wine making started in this area. Though, in Roman age, the place hosted a way station for horses, since it was located along the main coastal road between Luni and Genoa. Toponymy still recalls this presence: in fact, a part of the village is still called Stalle. Later, due to the raids of Saracen pirates, the whole coastal area was abandoned and the population fled to the inner valleys until that peril ceased.

Tradition tells that the memorial stone at the beginning of the path to Porciana is a funeral monument dedicated to two officers of the Army of the Genoa Republic who died here during a battle in 1273. At that time, Volastra was part of the principality of Carpena, a village in the valley behind us. During the campaign in eastern Riviera in 1273, the Genoese troops guided by Nicolò Fieschi started the siege on the castle of Carpena by destroying the village of Volastra.


This fountain was once used as a water source by the villagers of Volastra, the only village in the area without a river.


Crossing with path #502, Megalithic Trail

On the hill called Corniolo you can see the whole Riomaggiore area, from Volastra on the West to the Sanctuary of Montenero on the East. During WWII, right below the Sanctuary, on the point of Montenero, a gun battery (called Racchia) was installed by the Germans to defend the coastline.
In the days preceding the end of the war, just before abandoning the guns to the winners, Germans decided to have some fun before leaving and tried to bomb the village of Volastra from Racchia gun battery. Luckily, the shape of this hill obstructed the line and Volastra was spared. As much can't be said for the vineyard in this area...



This bridge crosses the Rio Finale River. Historically, this has always been the border between the property of Manarola and Riomaggiore.


Start of path 531 to Manarola


At the crossroads between Via dei Mulini and Via Rollandi, on the opposite side of the bridge, there is the first of the 5 mills once working in the village: the Barani mill. On the left of the terrace you can see the conduit taking water to the wheel, now destroyed.


The building next to the fountain, built in 1868, was once used as a Hospital for the needy ones, and its expenses were sustained by the whole community. Until the late 18th century, the ground floor hosted the local Court.

The baptistery is on the left corner inside the church. The carved white marble artefact beneath it features the inscription "Comunitas Manarolae" (Community of Manarola) and was once used as a standard measure for wine. The square facing the Church has been the first covering of the river, although initially it only covered the area in front of the Church and the Oratory. Annals report regular flooding of the area and in the aftermath of such events villagers used to collect eels on the square and in the church too.

Given its first original use as defence tower, the Belltower is separated from the church. As a matter of fact, in the 16th century, attacks by Barbary Pirates from Northern Africa were far from unusual in Liguria.
People living outside the walled village, fled into this building during pirate attacks, such as the unsuccessful one guided by Dragut in 1545. During WWII, a law established that bells had to be donated to the Nation for war purposes and thus, 2 out of 4 of these bells were planned to be removed. Fortunately, the sudden evolving of war events leading to the end of Fascism, managed villagers to save the 4 original bells.

There are two carved faces on the steps of the Oratory of Disciplinati representing two military figures: one is Mussolini and the other one is the King, as indicated by the inscription on his helmet. Enjoy your search...

The sacristy on the side of the Church was built in the 19th century and features an interesting detail. The lower right angle has been made with a marble livestock manger.
The bell above the Sacristy was installed in 1891 and used to be rung 15 minutes before masses to invite people to hurry up.