In July 2012, Save Vernazza, in partnership with the Unione Parmense degli Industriali, restored the Chapel of Santa Marta in Vernazza, including building a new roof. The chapel, an important place for residents to gather and worship, was completely buried in mud and debris on October 25, 2011. We now refer to it as “the little chapel that could.”
In September 2012, Save Vernazza organized a student volunteer weekend with students from Syracuse University studying abroad in Florence. Save Vernazza founder Michele Lilley led the students on a guided hike from Corniglia to Vernazza. The walk explained the importance of maintaining the territory (with terraced hillsides and stonewalls necessary for agriculture) to preserve Vernazza’s…
“Even Paradise Needs a Gardener” Save Vernazza’s Turisti nei Cian (Tourists in the Wild) Voluntourism Project welcomed 1090 participants in 135 excursions in 6 seasons from 2013 through 2018. Save Vernazza connected travelers to local guides and farmers to restore vineyards, rebuild stonewalls, and harvest grapes in Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy. Thanks to our partnership…
In July 2012, Save Vernazza built two stonewalls with Cantina Cheo, Vernazza’s sole commercial wine producer. These two walls are critical to maintaining the stability of the hillside, its agricultural viability and the safety of the town of Vernazza below. Stonewalls that create the terracing throughout the Cinque Terre were a key factor in UNESCO’s…
Piazza Marconi in Vernazza reborn thanks to teamwork: “The piazza that love (re)built!” A revitalized Piazza Marconi was officially inaugurated on May 25, 2015. The Renaissance of Vernazza Project is a symbol of the extraordinary cooperation and support Vernazza has received from institutions and people all over the world following the October 25, 2011 disaster. …
In 2014, Save Vernazza launched “Wine & Food Discovery” to give travelers the opportunity to “TASTE OUR TERRITORY” and highlight the importance of winemaking to landscape preservation. With a glass of wine in hand, on Gianni Franzi’s Deck in Vernazza, surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea and an amazing landscape, local wine producers shared their…
Aria Festival: “Musica Nuda” and other surprises in the Cinque Terre village of Vernazza Friday, December 22nd Aria Festival returned to Vernazza on December 22, 2017, with the concert of Musica Nuda – a musical project by Petra Magoni and Ferruccio Spinetti – a refined and intense show inside the former Chiesa dei Frati. Aria…