Corniglia ( lij, Corniggia; locally ) is a '' frazione'' ("hamlet") within the comune of Vernazza in the

province of La Spezia A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...

, Liguria, northern Italy with a population of about 150 (in 2016). Unlike the other localities of the Cinque Terre, Corniglia is not directly adjacent to the sea. Instead, it is on the top of a promontory about 100 metres high, surrounded on three sides by

vineyards A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineyards ...

and terraces, the fourth side descends steeply to the sea. To reach Corniglia, it is necessary to climb the ''Lardarina'', a long brick flight of steps composed of 33 flights with 382 steps or, otherwise follow a vehicular road that, from the station, leads to the village. Sometimes a small bus runs. The village stretches along the main road, Fieschi Road, and the houses have one side facing this road and the other facing the sea. Corniglia is characterised by narrow roads and a terrace in the rock from which all other four Cinque Terre's villages, two on one side and two on the other, can be seen. The town planning structure presents original characteristics compared to those of the other villages: the houses are lower set, and only more recently higher, similar to those of the villages of the hinterland. Corniglia is mentioned in a famous novella of

Giovanni Boccaccio Giovanni Boccaccio (, , ; 16 June 1313 – 21 December 1375) was an Italian writer, poet, correspondent of Petrarch, and an important Renaissance humanist. Born in the town of Certaldo, he became so well known as a writer that he was somet ...

's ''

Decameron ''The Decameron'' (; it, label=Italian, Decameron or ''Decamerone'' ), subtitled ''Prince Galehaut'' (Old it, Prencipe Galeotto, links=no ) and sometimes nicknamed ''l'Umana commedia'' ("the Human comedy", as it was Boccaccio that dubbed Dan ...

'' and in the novel ''The Invisible Circus'' by Jennifer Egan.

History

The origin of the village dates back to the Roman Age as testified by the name, which finds its roots in '' Gens Cornelia'', the Roman family to whom the land belonged. In the Middle Ages it was a possession of the counts of Lavagna, the lords of

Carpena Carpena, Cárpena or Carpeña is a Spanish surname of Italian origin. It is the hispanicised version of the Italian family name Carpegna, brought to Spain by Italian settlers, which is a habitational surname for people from the village of Carpegna ...

and of Luni. In 1254 Pope Innocent IV gave it to

Nicolò Fieschi Nicolò () is an Italian male given name. Another variation is Niccolò, most common in Tuscany. It may refer to: * Nicolò Albertini, statesman * Nicolò Amati, luthier * Nicolò Barella, Italian footballer * Nicolò Barattieri, Italian engineer * ...

, who held it until 1276, when the village was acquired by the Republic of Genoa.

Main sights

Documents dating from 1276 to 1277 mention the existence of a castle. However, remains of the castle have yet to be discovered and the location of the castle grounds is unknown. The only ruins in Corniglia belong to Genoese fortifications, a stronghold on a cliff plunging into the sea, which dates back to approximately 1556.

Popular Culture

The 2021 animated film '' Luca'' was inspired by the Cinque Terre towns. While the fictional Portorosso town in the film is set on a coast, the Pixar animation team was particular interested in Corniglia for its more remote and less tourist heavy nature.

Gallery

File:Corniglia_FB02.JPG, ''Corniglia's Marina'' File:Corniglia_FB03.JPG, ''Church of S.Pietro from via Serra'' File:Corniglia_FB04.JPG, ''Church of S.Pietro from the carrugio'' File:Church Of San Pietro Interior Corniglia.jpeg, ''Interior of the Church of S.Pietro'' File:Corniglia_FB05.JPG, ''The oratory of S.Caterina over Largo Taragio'' File:Corniglia_FB07.JPG, ''S.Bernardino'' File:Corniglia02.jpg, Setting

References

External links

Corniglia
@ Cinque Terre Tourist Association
Cinque Terre Pics
Cinque Terre Slideshow - 50 Pictures {{Coord, 44, 07, 11, N, 9, 42, 31, E, region:IT-SP_type:city, display=title Coastal towns in Liguria Frazioni of the Province of La Spezia Italian Riviera World Heritage Sites in Italy