Known in Italian as the Via dell’Amore, the cliffside trail links the seaside villages of Riomaggiore and Manarola.
Carved out in the early 20th century for the construction of the coastal railway, the path turned the journey between the two towns into an easy 20-minute walk and – according to locals – provided a scenic spot for residents in the two villages to meet for romantic reunions.
The historic path has been at least partially closed since September 2012 due to rockslides.
Eleven years and €12 million later, it will reopen in 2023, according to a plan presented last Sunday by the Cinque Terre National Park.
The proposed renovations include extending an artificial tunnel that runs under the part of the path believed to be most dangerous, as well as adding steel mesh and bolts to secure rocks above and below the trail.
Maintenance works were ordered after four tourists were injured in a 2012 landslide, but were stalled amid uncertainty over where the funds would come from.
Italy’s Culture Ministry will provide €7 million of funding, with the remaining €5 million to come from the region of Liguria and the Environment Ministry.
“It’s unacceptable that one of the symbols of our region famed around the world should be closed off,” the governor of Liguria, Giovanni Toti, said.
