Located in the western part, Monterosso is the last and largest village of the Cinque Terre.
he village is divided into two zones: old Monterosso and new Monterosso (aka “Fegina” ), where the railway station and a long stretch of beach are located.
This village is the only one of the 5 Terre with 2 beaches, one located in the old town and one in the new part.
A massive defensive system was built by the Genoese on the hilltop that divides the old from the new part of the village (thirteen century), against the attacks of the Saracen pirates. You can visit the 4 towers left: 3 of them are circular and one is square-shaped.
Worth a visit is the Church of St. John the Baptist with its typical facade featuring black and white stripes, whose shape is remindful of a ship. Inside, you can admire pillars with black and white bands, Gothic arches and the Baroque altar.
Monterosso has its Sanctuary too: the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Soviore, the oldest Marian Sanctuary in Italy.
Festivities and celebrations held in Monterosso:
On 23 May, the famous “Lemon Festival” is held, featuring colourful food and souvenir stalls along the streets of the village.
On 13 June, the village celebrates the Corpus Christi with a variety of flower arrangements: on this occasion, the village streets are covered with flowers indeed. Particularly fascinating is the procession held in the evening.
On 24 June, residents celebrate St. John the Baptist. The whole village is lit by countless floating candles, which are then left adrift in the open sea.
July is the month of the swimming marathon, when athletes start from Monterosso up to Vernazza and back to Monterosso again.
Also in July, around the half of the month, you can enjoy the much-awaited “Anchovies Festival”, where seafood grills are organised and wine (free of charge!) and bruschetta are offered.
On 15 August, the Holy Virgin of Soviore is celebrated
On 26 August, you can join the medieval festival, celebrating the handover of the village from the Republic of Pisa to Genoa. You can watch over 200 characters wearing traditional costumes parading through the streets of the village. The festival terminates with culinary events and dances.