Via dell'Amore reopens in Cinque Terre after 12 years

The Via dell'Amore, a scenic coastal path connecting Riomaggiore and Manarola in the Cinque Terre, will reopen to the public on Saturday, July 27, 2024, after being closed since 2012 due to a landslide. The path, originally built in 1920 as a service road for railway construction, became a beloved pedestrian route and is part of the Cinque Terre National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The closure followed an incident involving Australian tourists, and the subsequent restoration took nine years of planning and two and a half years of construction, costing approximately 24 million euros, with about 12.5 million euros funded by the Liguria Region. Works included installation of nets, anchors, rock bolts, and barriers, as well as renovation of a short tunnel section, paving, railings, and urban furniture. The path sits about 30 meters above sea level, offering views of sandstone rocks, terraced vineyards, and diverse vegetation. Regional commissioner Giacomo Raul Giampedrone expressed pride in the reopening, describing the intervention as difficult and spectacular, akin to restoring a precious work of art.