Cinque Terre - Italy

2011.11.06

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Questi posti davanti al mare
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The villages of the "Cinque Terre" were severely affected by torrential rains which caused floods and mudslides on October 25, 2011. Nine people have been confirmed killed by the floods, and damage to the villages, particularly Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare, is extensive.
"Cinque Terre" is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera, UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is in the Liguria region of Italy, to the west of the city of La Spezia. "The Five Lands" is composed of five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore.
Over centuries, people have carefully built terraces on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. Part of its charm is the lack of visible corporate development. Paths, trains and boats connect the villages, and cars cannot reach them from the outside. The Cinque Terre is a very popular tourist destination.
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Il 25 ottobre 2011 una violenta alluvione e le successive frane portano alla morte di almeno 7 persone. I comuni più colpiti sono Monterosso al Mare e Vernazza.
Le Cinque Terre (Çinque Taere in ligure) sono un frastagliato tratto di costa della riviera ligure di levante situato nel territorio della provincia della Spezia tra Punta Mesco e Punta di Montenero, nel quale si trovano cinque borghi o, come si diceva anticamente, terre, qui elencati da ovest verso est: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore.
L'opera dell'uomo, nei secoli, ha modellato il territorio costruendo i famosi terrazzare sui declivi a mare, dovuta alla particolare tecnica agricola tesa a sfruttare per quanto possibile i terreni posti in forte pendenza che digrada verso il mare, ne ha fatto così uno dei più caratteristici e affascinanti paesaggi della Liguria.
Nel 1997, su istanza della provincia della Spezia, le Cinque Terre, insieme a Porto Venere ed alle isole Palmaria, Tino e Tinetto, sono state inserite tra i Patrimoni dell'umanità dell'UNESCO.

AWESOME composition, I absolutely love the symmetry of this shot, very impressive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

urmysunshine · 2011-11-06: 18:06

Wow, what a grand shot! Sorry to hear of their recent troubles!

darfoster · 2011-11-06: 19:00

Incredible image and interesting information, Mimmo! What a tragedy, but what a fantastic photo you took. This lovely scene was waiting for you and your camera!

djnana · 2011-11-06: 19:07

Fantastic shot, lots of texture, color and marvelous composition! Sorry for their flood and damge it caused!

Patricia132 · 2011-11-06: 20:03

What a beautifully-composed photo. It is very inviting! I love the straight lines of the architecture against the irregular contours of the landscape! Straight to my fave photos!

globetrotdreamer · 2011-11-06: 22:05

Wow! Its great! So colourful!

KGBphoto · 2011-11-06: 22:10

Fantastic composition, color and clarity. Thanks for the info on the village.

JustGarden · 2011-11-06: 22:13

great shot nice

lmxg2011 · 2011-11-06: 23:32

I saw this in the news and can't imagine how devastating that must be. I visited there several years ago and it is a charming and beautiful place. love your shot with the lovely colors and layers of buildings.

beth0110 · 2011-11-07: 00:16

Fantastic shot.

farideh · 2011-11-07: 01:20

Thats is an amazing picture !! And thank you for posting it and telling the story. The colours are so clear !

EvaLizette · 2011-11-07: 03:00

Beautiful photo.. The soft colours of the clouds seem to somehow merge with the mountaintops...
Looking at your photo it is almost hard to imagine that floods and mudslides could touch such a wonderful place. That they did.. is very sad to hear..

nynkeb · 2011-11-07: 05:36