The Ligurian riviera coastal path, Via dell’Amore, has reopened after almost 12 years. It has been closed since September 2012 when a landslide injured four Australian tourists.
The Via dell’Amore reopened today until 9th August for residents and tourists. Whilst it may only be 900 metres long, its breathtaking views make it one of the most popular of the 48 trails that run through the Cinque Terre villages.
Costing €22m and involving building a system of steel harnesses and netting to secure the rocks above and below the path, the restoration works were a labour of love, too.
“The reopening has been eagerly awaited by everyone here,” said Fabrizia Pecunia, the mayor of Riomaggiore and Manarola. “The path has always represented a landmark for us. There is a feeling of great satisfaction after all the hard work.”
Charge to curb Insta-madness
Twelve years ago, before Instagram had created quite the number of ‘influencers’ and digital bucket list creators, there were 850,000 visitors a year. With Insta-tourism now having a huge impact on scenic locations, there were worries reopening the path could swamp the already heaving Cinque Terre coastline.
As a means of curbing this, there are restrictions. Firstly, there will be no writing on the cliff walls. Secondly, visitors will have to pay to walk along it. Before 7pm, at any rate.
What are the fees?
With the purchase of a €7.50 Cinque Terre card, and a €10 top-up (€15 on peak days), visitors have access to all the footpaths. The Via dell’Amore will have time-slotted guided tours of a maximum of 10 people every 15 minutes.
The idea of the guides is to create awareness of the wider area, provide better knowledge of the path itself, and of course to prevent any tourist vandalism.
History of the Via dell’Amore
Initially, the Via dell’Amore was not associated with romance. During the blasting of a second train line in the 1920s, a path was created for labourers to transport materials. Residents of Riomaggiore and Manarola saw an opportunity to extend the path between the towns, working for free to build it, including Pecunia’s grandfather. They named it Strada Nuova (New Road).
The path closed during World War II but later became a meeting point for lovers from the two villages. It was renamed Via dell’Amore after someone wrote the words in chalk on the door of the gunpowder warehouse. Paolo Monelli, a journalist with Corriere della Sera, noticed the writing and urged local authorities to rename the path.
“Via dell’Amore was built by our ancestors to connect the two communities,” said Pecunia. “It was an enormous feat and represents the strength and determination of the people here.”
And if you don’t want to walk… there’s always the Cinque Terre Express, one of the best train journeys in Italy, for which the Via dell’Amore came about.
