Rebuild Monterosso is run by a group of women who have become a part of the community of Monterosso that work and/or live in Monterosso thus can follow closely the progress and news post October’s flood. Being passionate knowledgeable about food, agriculture and the particularities that make the community and village of Monterosso different, Rebuild Monterosso also promotes interesting and useful ‘inside’ information about Monterosso that may just interesting if you have been here or helpful for your future travels.

Rick Steves put it nicely: “A group of American women who married into the community organized a project which brought relief to their town in the immediate aftermath of the flood and now is morphing into an organization to help preserve and foster healthy tourism in town. For the latest on the town, the recovery, and their activities, visit www.rebuildmonterosso.com”

I woke to the sound of miniature cement trucks and jackhammers. These were happy sounds to me, as physically, Monterosso and Vernazza are being put back together after the recent devastating flood. Socially, too, it’s been a time of reconstruction for both communities. Being small towns, they were rife with cliques and ancient grudges. With the challenge presented by the flood and recovery period, locals marvel at how everyone came together. Today, many locals enjoy better relations with old enemies, but there is a new divide: between people who joined in the community-wide effort, and those who only took care of their own business needs (or even left town during the chaos). In both towns, while a large percent of the businesses were essentially destroyed, lots of people and hotels that were on higher or luckier ground came through unscathed, losing only their water and electricity for a while. Some of them ignored their business needs and became heroically involved. And, as it goes in small towns, those who didn’t will long be remembered for turning their backs on neighbors in need.