The church of Saint-Pierre d'Andenelle with its tower dates from the 12th century. Built of reddish sandstone, this remarkable monument of Mosan architecture is one of the oldest in the region. It underwent alterations in the 17th century (the inside pillars were changed), in 1853 (the entrance portal, which used to be found in the north, was moved to the west), in 1860 (building of the transept), in 1875 (the portal was moved to the north as a result of the building of the Andenne-Haillot road) and in 1923 (building of the side aisles). It is a mistake to believe that it was built in a hollow. In times past, it was level with the road and the square. People entered on a level, through a big door at the foot of the tower, next to the stream. But when the Haillot bottom road was built, the portion of the road was raised and people had to go down a few steps to enter the church.
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.