Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: Monterosso al Mare

The current parish church Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista (Church of San Juan Bautista) was built between the year 1244 and 1307. It was remodeled in the Baroque period and more recently between 1963 and 1964. The facade , which dates from 1307, is made of alternating vestments of white marble and dark green serpentine. The central rose window in white marble is a splendid example of ornate Gothic. The lace-like ornamentation shows from the central button, eighteen smooth and twisted columns. The interior structure has a basilica plan and a division of three naves and for its characteristics, represents a pure Genoese Gothic style. The altar greater and the masonry wood , were commissioned in 1734. The Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista is one of the oldest churches in Cinque Terre.

The Cinque Terre is a string of five old fishing villages perched high on the rugged coastline of the east end of the Italian Riviera in Liguria. Until recently they were linked only by mule tracks and accessible only by rail or water. Nowadays Cinque Terre is a UNESCO Heritage Site. It's also one of the most sought-after travel destinations in all of Italy. The five villages are no longer the isolated hamlets they once were, but there’s still a feeling of authenticity, with few roads and perfectly preserved architecture. Monterosso al Mare - the most populated village of Cinque Terre - is divided into two parts, divided by a pedestrian tunnel. To the west the residential; area with a long sandy beach, railway station, hotels and restaurants. To the east the old town with a small harbour and beach and the typical tower-houses painted with bright colours and narrow medieval alleys. A first settlement is mentioned in the 9th century. Shortly after the year 1000, the inhabitants began to descend into the natural inlet and the small town began to increase in number and was protected by town walls. In 1545 the village was the victim of a terrible raid by Barbary pirates led by the Ottoman corsair Dragut. With the arrival of Napoleon, Monterosso followed the vicissitudes of French domination and the birth of the Kingdom of Italy. Monterosso al Mare was the last village in Cinque Terre we visited. To be honest it was the least exciting of the five villages. It feels more like an "average" summer resort with its long beach and several hotels.