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The first historic news of Monterosso dates back to 1201 when the Lagneto family were owners of the Castle. Some ruins of this castle are still found today. The Lagneto family made an agreement with Genova and in 1214 the community of Monterosso was founded. In order to protect the town from violent pirate invasions, the village began as a fortification that made up the most important defence mechanism for the Cinque Terre. Eugenio Montale, poet awarded with a Nobel of literature in 1975, spent the summers here in Monterosso al Mare “rocky stern town, asylum for fishermen and farmers…” as he wrote. Tourists may sojourn in the modern beach resort side of town known as Fegina or stay in the medieval historic centre.
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The church San Giovanni Battista, built in 1220, is located among the narrow alleyways. The building is in gothic-genovese style. It has a beautiful façade with a bichrome clergy vestment between the entrance and the arched recess. The bell tower was initially built in 1400 as a defence mechanism. The Cappuccini Convent is also an interesting site to visit. It dates back to the XVIIth century. The church of San Antonio of Mesco was built in 1335. On the new part of the village, known as Fegina, you can admire the Montale family’s liberty villa. On the promontory that separates Fegina from the historic centre, you may view the village’s articulated defence system of fortified walls and the Torre Aurora dominating the rocky high ground. Sitting above the two parts of town you find the remains of the historic castle with its tower.
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