Monterosso al Mare
| Monterosso al Mare | ||
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| Comune | ||
| Comune di Monterosso al Mare | ||
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 Monterosso al Mare
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| Coordinates: 44°08′45″N 09°39′15″E / 44.14583°N 9.65417°E | ||
| Country | Italy | |
| Region | Liguria | |
| Province / Metropolitan city | La Spezia (SP) | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Angelo Maria Betta | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 11.25 km2 (4.34 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 12 m (39 ft) | |
| Population (30 September 2009) | ||
| • Total | 1,522 | |
| • Density | 140/km2 (350/sq mi) | |
| Demonym(s) | Monterossini | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
| Postal code | 19016 | |
| Dialing code | 0187 | |
| Website | Official website | |
Monterosso al Mare is a town and comune in the province of La Spezia, part of the region of Liguria (northern Italy). It is one of the five villages in Cinque Terre.
Monterosso al Mare is located at the center of a small natural gulf, protected by a small artificial reef, to the east of Punta Mesco in the Riviera of La Spezia. It is the westernmost of the Cinque Terre. In the west part of the original village, beyond the hill of the Capuchins, it is the village of Fegina, natural expansion and characterized by a relatively modern tourist resort facility compared to the ancient village that is reachable through a tunnel of a few tens of meters. The local train station is located at Fegina and the beaches are relatively larger compared to the narrow cliffs that characterize the other villages of the Cinque Terre.
The town is divided into two distinct parts: the old town and the new town. The two areas are divided by a single tunnel that caters to pedestrians and the very few cars in the town.
The beach at Monterosso runs along most of the coast line and is well used by tourists and locals. The beach is the only extensive sand beach in the Cinque Terre. Monterosso is a small town overrun by tourists in the summer months.
The village was briefly excluded from the Cinque Terre trail in 1948, but was re-introduced in mid-1949. Italian officials considered the village too large to be considered part of the historic trail.
The area is famous for its many lemon trees that can be seen throughout Monterosso. It is also renowned for its white wines, grapes, and olives.
In 1870, the Italian government built a railroad line into the city, which opened it up to the outside world. It is the main way in which people enter the city.
During World War II, many young men from the Cinque Terre fought for the resistance against the fascist regime of Benito Mussolini, and the subsequent Nazi German occupation of Italy.
In Monterosso, near to the beach of Fegina you can find the statue of the Giant / Neptune built by the Italian sculptor Arrigo Minerbi (the favorite artist of Gabriele D’Annunzio) and the architect Francesco Levacher.
In past, not too far away, the impressive sculpture, with their 14 meters high, stood on the promontory as decoration of the luxurious Villa Pastine (built in the early ‘900). In addition to the trident, Neptune was holding a gigantic shell on his head, that was nothing more than the beautiful house terrace.
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Wikipedia