La Via de l'Amùu is a picturesque, kilometre-long pedestrian road overlooking the sea that connects the villages of Riomaggiore e Manarola, in the Five Lands, in Liguria, province of La Spezia. Famous worldwide for its breathtaking views, it is one of the most important tourist attractions in the area and is an integral part of the Cinque Terre National Park and the UNESCO World Heritage area. The 'Via dell'Amore' was carved in the years 1926-1928 when the Genoa-La Spezia railway line was doubled, to facilitate the operation of the construction site. Once the works were completed, the municipal administrations decided to turn it into a path for lovers. From the Rio Maggiore station via a short flight of steps, one takes the 'Via dell'Amore', a flat and well-paved path. As it is literally carved into the cliff about thirty metres from the sea, it represents the most original and interesting path in terms of landscape, compared to other more impervious paths such as the Via Alta on the mountain ridge. Unfortunately, following a landslide in 2012, the path was closed to the public, only to be reopened in 2015 for a short stretch, about 200 metres parallel to Manarola station, thanks to funding from the Italian railway network and free geological surveys carried out by the company 'Geologia verticale'. We hope that the Minister of Cultural Heritage will intervene promptly to restore this heritage and support the Administrations not only in securing the route but also in the normal maintenance indispensable to safeguard one of Italy's most extraordinary works.
In any case, it is worth walking even a few metres: it is a unique spectacle that cannot be cloned.
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