A church by the name of Saint-Pierre existed in Avignon already in the 7th century. The collegiate church was founded in 1358 with the construction of the canons' building and the cloister, the apse and the belltower. Side chapels were added in the 15th century, and the nave enlarged. Outstanding carved wooden doors with decors from the late Renaissance period. Several sculpted works inside, and paintings by Simon de Châlons, Parrocel and Nicolas Mignard. Relics of Blessed Pierre de Luxembourg.
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.