The Cinque Terre is a jagged stretch of coastline on the Ligurian Riviera di Levante and is located in the province of La Spezia between Punta Mesco  and Punta di Montenero, which are five towns or, as it was called in ancient times, lands, of  Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia , Manarola and Riomaggiore.

The Cinque Terre, due to geographical and anthropomorphic characteristics of the area where they arise, are one of the main tourist attractions of the Riviera and La Spezia in Liguria in general. In fact the orographic is very particular, on a naturally hilly terrain rugged and rough, softened by the construction of terraces or areas for the agriculture, which falls into the sea with steep slopes.

MAN, over the centuries, has shaped and worked the area without altering the delicate ecological balance, but by enhancing the beauty, as for exampel the need for the terraced slopes, due to the special agricultural technique designed to exploit the land as possible in high places with gradient sloping towards the sea, making it one of the most beautiful and fascinating landscapes of Liguria.

In 1997, upon application by the Province of La Spezia, the Cinque Terre, together with Porto Venere and the islands Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto, were included among the nature- and culture- assets, of the assosiaction 'UNESCO.

In 1998 the Ministry of environment established  Cinque Terre sa a protected  natural and marine- area
for environmental protection, protection and development of the biological resources and for the dissemination and promotion of a social-economic development compatible with the relevance of the naturalistic landscape.

In 1999  the National Park of Cinque Terre was established, for the conservation of ecological balance, protection of the landscape, the preservation of the anthropological values  .

Cinque Terre is a member of the community Comunitá Montana, (an Italian assosiaction for the protection and the development of smaller mountain-towns) of the riviera of La spezia.

Driving along the stretch of coast from west to east, from Genoa to La Spezia, we go by the towns of : Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. Of these only Monterosso, Vernazza and Riomaggiore are municipal districts, while Corniglia and Manarola fractions, respectively parts of Vernazza and Riomaggiore.

Cuisine in Cinque Terre 
Since the vineyards and olive trees cover the hills, wine and oil are always on our table. Followed by  the tipical salted anchovies of Monterosso in oil, a true culinary delicacy, and the various fish specialties.

The cuisine of Cinque Terre keeps almost intact the features of yesterday, as the enforcement of scents and tastes of the primary ingredients.
Le trofie, a kind of pasta made of wheat flour or chestnut-flouer, takes the first steps towards more sophisticated forms of pasta and its sauce is still the old pesto made with basil, pure olive oil and grated cheese, pine nuts and marjoram.
The tagliatelle,  with mushrooms, cabbage and potatoes, beans, chickpeas, and a dash of pesto.
The basic elements are repeated and are recomposed in different shapes and flavors.
Vegetables pies primarily prepared borage and spices that we can find at the end of winter, and then with artichokes, zucchini and potatoes and leeks. The filling of the dough is linked by an egg, ricotta-cheese, bread found in milk or besciamella-sauce, depending on the taste and habit of the chef, with the addition of Parmesan cheese, parsley and marjoram. The puff pastry is very thin, because the flour was a very valuable and precious asset in the past.

It was also much use of eggs, like in omelettes for exampel, rediscovered today, boiled, fried, omelettes and more, as appetizers and starters.
Important are the dish of anchovies cutlets or stuffed and fried anchovies, juvenile anchovies and sardines. . Also from the traditional seafood, cuttlefish zimino (with mussles),  the octopus from hell wich is chilispcied and quite strong, and stuffed squid.
And with the fish, to be honest, one can not but add  the oregano, the herb that the inhabitants of the province of La Spezia use with tomatoes.It  is harvested in summer, near the woods, and left to wilt in the shadow bound in characteristic fragrant bunches. The flowers, once dried, are kept in glass jars ready for use in the kitchen.

Source: Wikipedia

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