The Castle of Pietrarossa ('Red Stone Castle'), built using, as its name suggests, largely red stones, dominates the city and the whole Salso River valley from the edge of the ravine upon which it stands.
The originsa castle remain unknown. It is presumed to have been built in the 9th century, but there are some historians who claim that it was built by the Sicani, a people that was present in Sicily in the 8th century before the arrival of the Greeks. The castle is towering over the whole valley of the river Salso.
Throughout history some historical events took place, in 1378 an important meeting of the Sicilian barons was held during which 4 were appointed vicars to govern Sicily. Around 1570, a strong earthquake destroyed most of the castle, today there are only two towers left.
The view that you can admire from this castle is spectacular although today the castle is in a state of disrepair. So be very careful when visiting.
References:Manarola is a small town, a frazione of the comune of Riomaggiore. It is the second-smallest of the famous Cinque Terre towns frequented by tourists, with a population of 353.
Manarola may be the oldest of the towns in the Cinque Terre, with the cornerstone of the church, San Lorenzo, dating from 1338. The local dialect is Manarolese, which is marginally different from the dialects in the nearby area. The name 'Manarola' is probably a dialectical evolution of the Latin, 'magna rota'. In the Manarolese dialect this was changed to 'magna roea' which means 'large wheel', in reference to the mill wheel in the town.
Manarola's primary industries have traditionally been fishing and wine-making. The local wine, called Sciacchetrà, is especially renowned; references from Roman writings mention the high quality of the wine produced in the region.