Sanctuaries & Spirituality

Sanctuaries and Spirituality in the Cinque Terre

Above the five villages of the Cinque Terre, five ancient Sanctuaries devoted to the Virgin Mary look out over the sea like gentle protectors of the lands below.

The Sanctuary Trail, a footpath once used by pilgrims and peasants from all over Italy, connects all five of these churches.  It passes through vineyards, olive groves, alongside stone wall terraces, past native oaks and cypresses, all the while overlooking the Mediterranean and the villages below.

Still today, the inhabitants of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso give praise to the  figure of Mary inside these Sanctuaries during religious celebrations, and the peacefulness and spirit of these venerated sites is as palpable today as it must have been in the past.

We want to take you along a mystical and emotional journey into the faith of this land, following in the steps of Medieval pilgrims, visiting each and every Sanctuary while using the guest house maintained by the Sanctuary of Soviore, the oldest Marian Sanctuary in Liguria, as our base.

To see our detailed itinerary, click here.