HISTORY: The first information about Vernazza dates back to a document of 1080, where the castrum Vernatio is cited as the maritime base of the Obertenghi family. With the increase in commercial traffic and the development of the marina, the village soon became part of the expansive Republic of Genoa, which made Vernazza one of the main coastal bases for the commercial, political and above all territorial conquest of the Ligurian Levant.
Vernazza was annexed to the First French Empire from 13 June 1805 to 1814, being included in the Department of the Apennines. In 1815, it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Sardinia, as established by the Congress of Vienna in 1814, and subsequently in the Kingdom of Italy, starting with 1861.
On 25 October 2011, Vernazza was struck by heavy rainfall, massive floods and mudslides, causing over 100 million euro worth of damage to the historical center of the city.
GEOGRAPHY: Today, Vernazza is a town of about 850 inhabitants in the province of La Spezia, in the Liguria region. Together with Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia and Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza is included in the Cinque Terre National Park, a protected area recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, in 1997.
Vernazza is located about 25 kilometers northwest of La Spezia, about 85 kilometers southeast of Portofino and Camogli, and about 100 kilometers away from Genova.
TRANSPORT: The closest airports are the Pisa Galileo Galilei Airport, the main airport of Tuscany, located about 108 kilometers southeast, in Pisa, and Cristoforo Colombo International Airport, in Genoa, located about 115 kilometers northwest.
You can get to Vernazza by train, coming from the southeast, from La Spezia, or from the northwest, from Genoa. From La Spezia, a train ticket costs 4€ and the trip takes about 20 minutes. From Genoa, a ticket costs 9€ and the trip takes about one hour and a half.
LANDMARKS: Vernazza is a small seaside village, and the main tourist attractions are gathered within a few hundred meters. In Vernazza, you can visit the picturesque port, the Doria Castle, the Church of Santa Margherita di Antiochia, or you can relax on the small rocky beach of the town.
MORE INFO: Official Website | Pisa Airport | Genoa Airport | Train Timetables & Fares | Hotels in Vernazza
