Liguria hotels collection

Genoa lodged its distinguished guests by lottery: the palaces of the Strade Nuove were entered on lists, the rolli, and chance decided which would receive the visitor. Beyond the city, the mountains come down so fast that the land had to be built before it could be farmed. In the Cinque Terre, vines rest on dry-stone walls, and the grapes travel by monorail, a small cart on a single rail. In front of the churches, the forecourts are laid in black and white pebbles set on edge: the risseu. Slate comes down from the Val Fontanabuona to Lavagna, which gave Italian its word for blackboard.