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The oldest parts of the Norantola Castle were probably built in the 12th century for a local noble family. In 1248 Locarnus de Norantola is mentioned in a record and in 1295 Petrus de Norantola is mentioned. However, by around 1300 the castle was owned by the powerful Counts of Sax/Misox and the Norantola family vanished from historical records. In 1324 Ugolinus von Sax was listed as the owner of the castle. In the early 14th century, the original castle was completely rebuilt. The old ring wall was topped with swallowtailcrenallations. A new tower was built on the wall. The north wing, with apartments and a throne room, and a south wing with stables were added. The original palas had a gallery added and became the east wing.
The rulers of the castle became a cadet branch of the Sax/Misox family, known as Sax-Norantola. In 1439 the local court ruled in favor of the Sax-Norantola family during a family conflict. However, in 1452 Count Henri von Sax-Misox signed an agreement with the residents of the valley that overturned all agreements and traditional rights between Sax-Norantola and the residents. In 1480 Count Peter von Sax and Gian Giacomo Trivulzio quarreled over Mesocco, which eventually led to a war. It appears that the Sax-Norantola family supported Trivulzio and his ally, the Duke of Milan. After 1480 either Trivulzio or the Duke of Milan helped reinforce that castle. However, it was ineffective because in 1483, during fighting between the Duke and the Count, Norantola Castle was burned by Sax-Misox troops. The castle was never rebuilt and in the 16th century the Sax-Norantola family lived in Bellinzona.
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.