Favria Castle dates back to the 12th century. It belonged for a long time to the Marquises of Montferrat, serving in the protection of their domains. In 1446, William VIII, Marquis of Montferrat took steps towatrds the consolidation of the castle, giving impetus to the development of the settlement of Favria.
The property then belonged to the Solaro di Govone family, who transformed the castle into an elegant residence. The castle remains today a private property. It is located in the center of the town of Favria and is surrounded by a large private garden.
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.