The village of Monterosso Al Mare was once guarded by 13 soldiers of unbroken rock, their vigilant eyes in the careful lookout for pirates and conquistadors. Over 500 years, 12 have knelt to time leaving the Torre Aurora, or Aurora Tower as it is now known, as the sole guardian left to the village. This Genoese fortress may be of seemingly primitive and rustic build, reminiscent of the castles of old but it remains an icon of the peninsula. From boats approaching the shoreline in any direction, they would be able to notice the tower’s imposing figure perched on the hill of Cristoforo which seems to be the perfect vantage point to oversee Monterosso’s visitors. If you were to approach the Tower by land instead, you will get the chance to take a scenic route through the largest of the Cinque Terre Villages of the peninsula. Located at the point where colorful stucco of the Old District intersects with chic upscale establishments in Fegina, the Tower is a meeting point of new and old. It stands as spectator to the wild tempests of the crashing waves and its docile, shy caresses against the rock face depending on the hour of the day. A ruin clinging to the past, Torre Aurora is the final bastion protecting the past of Monterosso.