The Abbey of San Michele is a Benedictine Abbey located at the foot of Monte Vulture, on the eastern flank of the Lago di Monticchio Piccolo.
The abbey was founded in the 10th century at the site of grottoes carved into a rock cliff. There is evidence of worship at the site from the 3rd to 4th century of the modern era. Veneration of St Michael Archangel was developed by the Italian-Greek monks at the site, who were then replaced by Benedictines, who erected the abbey, then abandoned it in 1456. it was occupied by the Capuchin friars. An 18th-century church was built at the site near the rock-cut chapel of San Michele.
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.