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SAN TERENZO IS A HISTORIC VILLAGE ON LIGURIA'S COASTLINE. ITS PROXIMITY TO THE FAMOUS CINQUE TERRE AND ITS FAST MOTORWAY CONNECTION WITH THE MAIN CITIES OF NORTHERN ITALY MAKE IT AN EXTREMELY POPULAR LOCATION FOR SUMMER TOURISM. THE PEAK OF SUMMER INHABITANTS SINCE THE EARLY 1950S HAS PROFOUNDLY CHANGED THE AREA IN ITS BUILDING, INFRASTRUCTURE, ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC DIMENSIONS. THESE CHANGES HAVE INFLUENCED THE WAY IN WHICH MANY PEOPLE, BOTH INHABITANTS AND TOURISTS, RELATE TO THE LANDSCAPE AND BECOME ATTACHED TO SOME OF ITS FEATURES. AS IN I. CALVINO, A PREDATORY ATTITUDE TOWARDS AN AREA OFTEN TRIGGERS A SIMILAR EMOTIONAL APPROACH IN OTHER AREAS OF PEOPLE'S LIVES.
LIGURIA WAS AMONG THE FIRST EUROPEAN TERRITORIES TO CONFRONT THE PHENOMENON OF TOURISM. REPRESENTATIONS OF SAN TERENZO IN PAINTING AND LITERATURE BEGAN TO CIRCULATE FROM THE NINETEENTH CENTURY ONWARDS THANKS TO ENGLISH AND GERMAN TOURISTS. SINCE THEN, REPRESENTATIONS OF THE LANDSCAPE OF THE RIVIERA HAVE CONTINUED TO MULTIPLY UNTIL THE ERA OF MASS TOURISM.
TODAY SAN TERENZO EXPERIENCES THE CONTRADICTIONS OF MANY ITALIAN COASTAL TOWNS.THE ALTERATIONS TO ITS LANDSCAPE MAKE PARTICULARLY VISIBLE THE DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE ATTEMPT TO PRESERVE A PRECIOUS TERRITORY AND THE DESIRE TO EXPLOIT ITS FULL ECONOMIC POTENTIAL.THESE TWO TENDENCIES CONTRADICT EACH OTHER, BUT IN THEIR CLASH IT IS POSSIBLE TO DISCERN NEW, UNEXPECTED WAYS OF CREATING ONE'S OWN LANDSCAPE, AND LIVING WITH IT.