San Nicandro castle as we see it today dates from the 15th century although it was built on the site of a much more older fortress dating from the Norman and Swabian periods.
The castle is trapeze shaped with four corner towers, and was renovated during the 17th century. On the north side there are two square towers, one of which is one of the original towers, while on the south side there are two round towers built by the Aragonese which are behind the church.
The castle, which was actually built as a mansion, was the usual residence of the Della Marra and all the vassals of San Nicandro Garganico until the time of the Cattaneo Princes. In the 16th century the castle was integrated with the gateway to the east and the lodge was built that connected the castle with a large palace built between the door and the walls of the castle.
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.