Technical cooperation between Ifugao and Cinque Terre world heritage sites

(Part 1 of a series on Twinning the Ifugao and Cinque Terre World Heritage Sites)

CINQUE TERRE, Italy — Our World Heritage Ifugao team with Governor Teddy Baguilat Jr., Hungduan Mayor Pablo Cuhayon, Culture heritage expert Architect Joy Mananghaya, and me had difficulties squeezing through a trainful of tourists leaving Brignole train station in Genoa for the world famous Cinque Terre. Accompanied by Cinque Terre expert Francesco Marchese, assistant of Professor Mariolina Besio of the University of Genoa, we were told to watch out for our five suitcases and the balikbayan box of Ifugao carvings for gifts to the mayors and Park officials.

Agile Mayor Cuhayon caught in time Joy’s two bags about to be pulled down by two strangers at the Camoglia stop, one of 10 train stations before reaching Cinque Terre. It is easy to be distracted along the scenic Italian Riviera especially when passing by Rapallo and Santa Margherita adjacent to Portofino.     

Twinning the WHS Ifugao Rice Terraces with Cinque Terre

We were to engage in a 10-day study survey “twinning” World Heritage Ifugao Rice Terraces with Cinque Terre (5 villages) vineyards, the World Heritage site of vineyards and olive trees on the cliff-side of the Italian Riviera.

In the morning before departing, we met with Director Lino Malara of the Liguria Regional Directorate for Cultural Property and Landscape in his office at the Palazzo Reale – one of 42 UNESCO heritage palaces of aristocratic shipping and banking magnates donated to the Italian government. With Architect Luisa de Marco, he outlined our one-week visit to Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. Professor Besio who planned this much awaited study tour joined the discussion.

This study tour was recommended as early as 2001 at the annual meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage (WH) Committee, which encouraged an “international outreach” to help conserve our Ifugao Rice Terraces. It was reiterated in the 2006 WH Session so that in 2007 Professor Besio of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Genoa presented a paper on the sustainable WH site of Cinque Terre at Banaue, Ifugao during the ICOMOS Scientific Committee Meeting on Vernacular Architecture. Seeing both agricultural and socio-economic similarities of the two WH sites, she proposed the Twinning Project to the Philippine authorities. Final endorsement was done during 2008 WH Committee meeting in Quebec, Canada.

This week at the annual World Heritage Committee Session in Seville, Spain, Architect Mananghaya will be reporting the series of best practices in preserving the exceptional scenic quality of Cinque Terre, which can help the World Heritage Site of Ifugao Rice Terraces protect and conserve its traditional way of life to contribute and play an important socio-economic role in modern times.

Five ancient coastal village hanging on the cliffs

The Turin-Pisa-Rome train line swiftly brought us through the periphery of the Cinque Terre villages starting with Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Cornig-lia, Manarola and depositing us at Riomaggiore.

What a sight! ...two large groups of backpacking tourists young and old filled the small piazza where a huge wall mural on the cliff was painted with muscular Cinque Terre vineyard growers clearing the rocky cliffs, harvesting the grape wine, and celebrating the thousand year tradition of raising grapes and olives enjoyed all over the world. Their guide stood up on the fountain edge to brief them about their bed and breakfast accommodation – a short walk from the station.

The welcome party from the Cinque Terre Park office, arranged by Francesco, placed our bags in the small green van, part of a retinue of vehicles provided free for tourists who buy the “sentiere cards”. Joy and I were lodged in a neat two-story cottage with red geraniums, which had two beds, a modern kitchen and bathroom with hot and cold water. A short walk away is Governor and Mayor’s bed and breakfast rooms on the fourth floor of an old residential building. Huddled together with old pastel-colored building, which advertised “camere per affitarsi” (rooms for rent written also in French “chambre” and German “zimmer”), it faced the shopping street where we could buy all kinds of Italian ham, cheese, pasta, fruits and wine. Young tourists favored the pizzerias while the older couples went to the small restaurants, which included one managed by the Park.

Blending traditional to modern lifestyles

The traditional houses in the villages are now transformed into tourist accommodations or into shops and boutiques selling a variety of goods – from locally made artifacts or foreign ones, to locally or regionally-produced agricultural food products, or mere grocery shops.

What is so inspiring is that traditional agriculture, which was originally developed for local needs and consumption, has now become a self-sustaining economic resource that caters to the needs of tourism. Local wines and liquor, such as the Sciacchetra (sold at euro60/bottle in local stores and euro180/bottle in Japan), the Grapa, the local red and white wines of Cinque Terre, the uva con grappa, sauces and pastes (the pesto and the salsa verde, etc.) made from local herbs, combined with local seafood, pre-dominates the cuisine. Tourists are therefore attracted not only to the scenic man-made and natural beauty of the villages and its terraces but are also very much enamored with the variety of local food products that grace each and every meal.

At present, the Cinque Terre National Park has started developing its own cosmetic products that are made from the herbs and plants of the area. This is now sold in all National Park stores but this still has to attract buyers since there is stiff competition from the international cosmetic industry.

The return of the Cinque Terre vineyard growers

The problems that resulted from the influx of pests and the exodus of the younger generation was arrested thanks to the cooperatives, which numbers about 200, as well as the declaration of Cinque Terre as a National Park in 1999. It not only spurred tourism activities in the area but it has also started the return of local farm lot owners. The Italian edition of the National Geographic magazine featured a pictorial article (April 2009), Mare e Monti (Sea and Mountain).

Since childhood, Tonio Pasini, born in 1927, has tended until today the vineyards of Riomaggiore. He says, “It takes 2,000 hours to cultivate a hectare of vineyards, while only 200 hours needed to farm the lowlands. The difficulty is in climbing and descending the vineyards with a heavy basket of grapes six times a day.”

Mirko Zinani, a 20-year old computer expert, has returned to specialize in conserving the walls of the terraces. In the olden days, it required rigorous efforts to gather gravel, soil and sand from the nearby caves. To repair these today, stones taken from Massa are brought in via helicopters.

Pierino Moggia, president of the cooperative of mountain trekkers, stated that “many may have forgotten that these terraces come from the sweat of our forefathers. This includes the construction of canals to catch rainwater and to block the trampling of wild boars. The terraces are such a unique picturesque landscape that painters love.”

Haydee Bonanini, 30-year old son of the Park president, has produced wine since 2004: “I grew up with the last generation of farmers who earned their livelihood selling wine and constantly inspired by their love for the terraces.” He has decided to remain in Cinque Terre just like 37-year old Gianluigi Crovara. Meantime, Luigi Andreoti, a 36-year old forest guard of Riomaggiore, returned in 2000 with his cousins to continue caring for the terraces of their grandfather, Giulio.

Franco Bonanini, president of the Cinque Terre National Park, says that 80 percent of those who live in these coastal villages are foreigners due to the publicity created by American media. Today, Chinese and Australian tourists also come.

Can there be anything more beautiful than Cinque Terre?

Daniella Moggia, Vice Mayor of Verranza and the information expert of the Park exclaimed, “What is most beautiful in Cinque Terre is that there is nothing better than enjoying a plate of pasta and pesto. Nothing beats living in Vernazza.”

“There can be nothing better than eating trofie al pesto (pasta bits with the famous green pesto sauce made from fresh herbs collected in the mountains).”

“Each terrace has its unique characteristic. Riomaggiore is a painter’s delight with clusters of old palazzo in pastel color clinging to the mountainside. Corniglia is a village that looks suspended high up from a balcony of rocks. The houses of Manarola seem to want to dive into the sea each moment that you glance up. Monterasso is very different and most crowded. It has the longest beachfront alongside the community of fishermen. But, I live in Vernazza, with its fabulous little piazza filled with people. Seen against the sunset, it always lifts up my heart.”

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