All Churches in Liguria

The Church of San Martino (Chiesa del Divo Martino) is a church in Romanesque style, dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours, in Portofino.   SHORT HISTORY The church was probably built during the 12th century, around the same time the Church of San Giorgio was erected. The structure is mentioned in a document of 1130, with the decision of Pope Innocent II to cede the property to the monks of the nearby Abbey of San Fruttuoso, and again in 1164, where the same privileges were confirmed by Pope Alexander III. The consecration of the church took place on June 10, 1548, and on March 8, 1550, the ownership of the religious building passed to the Prince Andrea Doria and his heirs, through a papal bull of Pope Julius III. During the 19th century, the Church of San Martino was renovated and expanded, and took its current shape.   ART Inside, there are several pictorial and sculptural works, such as the wooden group depicting the Deposition of Christ by the Genoese sculptor Anton Maria Maragliano, the canvas of the Madonna del Rosario by an unknown painter, an Annunciation of the 18th century, and a painting depicting the Saints Rocco, Sebastiano and Read more [...]

The Oratory of Santa Maria Assunta is a Catholic place of worship in Riomaggiore, located in Via Santuario.   SHORT HISTORY The oratory, the seat of the Confraternity of the Disciplinanti dell’Assunta, was built during the 16th century.   ART The oratory preserves a wooden statue of the Madonna delle Catene (Madonna of the Chains), in memory of the inhabitants who, over the centuries, suffered raids and kidnappings in the Saracen raids, and a tempera triptych depicting the Madonna with Child and Saints John the Baptist and Dominic.   HOW TO GET THERE The Oratory of Santa Maria Assunta is located about 800 meters away from the Riomaggiore railway station. The closest bus stop is Riomaggiore Park, located about 70 meters away, on the local bus line.

The Cathedral of San Lorenzo is a beautiful church in Genoa, located in the small square with the same name. The cathedral is dedicated to San Lawrence, one of the patron saints of Genoa, together with Saint George, Saint John the Baptist and Saint Sebastian.   SHORT HISTORY A first church was built on this place around the 5th or 6th century AD, and dedicated to the bishop of Genoa, San Siro (Saint Sirus). The first documents that attest the existence of a church dedicated to San Lorenzo date back to 878. In 1007, the ancient church of San Siro was given to the Benedictine monks and the episcopal seat was transferred to the Cathedral of San Lorenzo. Starting with 1098, the reconstruction of the church began and the project was entrusted to the Magistri Antelami, master architects, sculptors and carpenters of Romanesque tradition. The building was consecrated in 1118 by Pope Gelasio II. In the 13th century, the church was renovated in Gothic style. The first order of the facade, with its three Gothic portals, dates back to that period. After the fire of 1296, the building, very damaged, was rebuilt again. Between 1307 and 1312, the facade was Read more [...]

Basilica della Santissima Annunziata del Vastato is a beautiful church in Genoa, located in Piazza della Nunziata, in the Prè district. The building is one of the most representative churches of the Genoese art of the late Mannerism and early Baroque of the 17th century.   SHORT HISTORY In 1228, a community of Humiliati friars from Lombardy built on this place a convent and a small church dedicated to Santa Maria del Prato. In 1508, the convent and the church were assigned to the Conventual Franciscan friars from the Convent of San Francesco di Castelletto. The Franciscans started a new construction, better suited for their liturgical needs. Work began on July 20, 1520, when the first stone was laid. The church was built in late Gothic style to respect the artistic style of the mother church of the Franciscan Order, the Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi. In 1537, the Conventuals left the church to return to the Convent of San Francesco di Castelletto, and the church passed to the Observant Franciscan friars, forced to leave the Convent of the Santissima Annunziata di Portoria. Following the dictates of the Council of Trent, the basilica was radically transformed beginning with 1591. The Read more [...]

The Church of Jesus and the Saints Ambrogio and Andrea is a Baroque church in Genoa, located in Piazza Matteotti, near the Palazzo Ducale and the Piazza De Ferrari. The church, belonging to the Jesuits from the 16th century, hosts works by the Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens, the Italian artist Guido Reni and by the greatest authors of the Genoese Baroque.   SHORT HISTORY The primitive church of Sant’Ambrogio dates back to the 6th century, when the Milanese clergy fled to Genoa, following the Lombard persecutions. The Genoese captivity of the Milanese bishops lasted until the middle of the 7th century, when the bishop Giovanni Bono (John the Good) returned to Milan. Around 1522, the old church passed into the hands of the Jesuits. In 1589, the Jesuits rebuilt the church to its current form, on a project by the architect Giuseppe Valeriano. The facade of the church was completely rebuilt in the second half of the 19th century. Completed in 1894, the facade included two statues of Sant’Ambrogio and Sant’Andrea, by Michele Ramognino.   ART In the central nave and in the dome, we can find frescoes by the painter Giovanni Carlone and by his younger brother, Giovanni Read more [...]

The Church of Santa Chiara is a church located in Bogliasco, in Via Giuseppe Mazzini, dedicated to the Saint Clare of Assisi. Saint Clare of Assisi is one of the first followers of Saint Francis of Assisi. She founded the Order of Poor Ladies, known today as the Order of Poor Clares, a religious order for women, in the Franciscan tradition.   SHORT HISTORY The local confraternity, devoted to Santa Chiara, was founded in 1403. The existence and works of the congregation are mentioned in numerous documents dated back to the 16th century. In a document dated 1582, the visit of Monsignor Francesco Bossi is attested, where the condition of the church and its furnishings was verified. The church was completely rebuilt and enlarged in the first half of the 17th century.   ART Inside, we can find a wooden crucifix from 1712 by the sculptor Giovanni Battista Maragliano, son of the famous Baroque sculptor Anton Maria Maragliano. The crucifix was restored in 1988. Another interesting work of art is the large altarpiece depicting Saint Roch with Saint Pantaleone and Saint Firmina, dated 1759, of an unknown painter. Another valuable painting inside the church is the one depicting Saint Clare Read more [...]

The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Chiesa della Natività di Maria Santissima) is a church located in Via Ammiraglio Giovanni Bettolo, in Bogliasco.   SHORT HISTORY A church dedicated to the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary existed in Bogliasco Alto since the 12th century. The church was mentioned for the first time in a document dated December 3, 1182. The church was elevated to the title of parish in 1576. During the 17th century, various restoration works were carried out on the ancient religious building. The decision to build a new church in Bogliasco Basso was taken in the first half of the 18th century, and the design of the architect Giovanni Antonio Ricca was chosen. The works were started in 1731 and, by 1736, all the side altars were completed. One year later, in 1737, the entire building was finished. The church was consecrated on October 12, 1794, by the Archbishop of Genoa Giovanni Lercari. During the 19th century, the church underwent some restoration works, such as the frescoing of the vault in 1884 by the painter Virginio Grana and the changing of the wooden choir in 1742 by Andrea Bocciardo.   ART The Read more [...]

The Sanctuary of Nostra Signora delle Grazie is a small chapel located in Via Giuseppe Mazzini, in Bogliasco, dedicated to Our Lady of Grace.   SHORT HISTORY The chapel was probably built right after the terrible plague that struck the entire region of Liguria in 1657. A text from 1685 signed by a parish priest confirmed that the sanctuary already existed at that time. Following the construction of a new provincial road in the vicinity, the chapel was rebuilt in 1817 in its current position. On April 26, 1925, a new building was inaugurated here, on a project by the engineer Pietro Luxoro. On this occasion, a new altar donated by the Bigatti family was added in the chapel.   ART Inside, the sanctuary preserves a painting on wood of an unknown author depicting the Virgin Mary. The chapel also has a substantial collection of votive offerings donated by believers, including four paintings by Domenico Gavarrone, two by Berto Ferrari and one by Piero Bozzo.   HOW TO GET THERE The sanctuary is located about 700 meters away from the Bogliasco train station, or about 12 minutes on foot. To find the chapel easily, use the map below.

The Oratory of San Rocco and San Sebastiano (Oratory of Saint Roch and Saint Sebastian) is a small place of worship located in the beautiful seaside village of Riomaggiore. The oratory is built in a panoramic position next to the Castle of Riomaggiore, on the ridge that separates the Rio Maggiore valley, where the village rises.   SHORT HISTORY According to some people, the Oratory of San Rocco was built in 1480 as a sign of gratitude for the end of the plague that killed almost half the population of the village. According to others, the oratory was built almost a century later.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The small building, with very simple architectural forms, is preceded by a portico. The interior, consisting of a single room covered by a lowered barrel vault and decorated with devotional frescoes, takes light from small windows splayed in the thickness of the walls. On the Baroque altar there is a triptych with the Virgin and Child between Saint Roch and Saint Sebastian.   HOW TO GET THERE The Oratory of San Rocco is located about 450 meters away from the Riomaggiore railway station, or about 8-10 minutes on foot. Depending on the route Read more [...]

The Church of San Pietro is an ancient church dedicated to Saint Peter, built on a rocky edge in Portovenere, facing the beautiful Gulf of Poets.   SHORT HISTORY The original church was founded on the ancient remains of a pagan temple dedicated to the goddess Venus Erycina, and was consecrated in 1198. The black and white bands on the walls were added by the Genoese in the 13th century, presumably between 1256 and 1277. The church lost its parochial title at the end of the 14th century, in favor of the Church of San Lorenzo, and was officiated by the secular clergy until 1798. In 1494, the church was affected by the attacks of the Aragonese, and later, during the Napoleonic era, was used as a battery to defend the Gulf of La Spezia. The church underwent a significant restoration work between 1929 and 1934.   ARCHITECTURE The original church is a work in the Syriac tradition of the 5th century, with a rectangular plan and a semicircular apse. Two round arches connect this space with the newer church. The latter has a structural wooden roof and the presbytery is divided into three chapels, covered with ogival and cross Read more [...]

The Church of San Lorenzo is a religious building dedicated to Saint Lawrence, located in a dominant position on a hill overlooking the village of Portovenere, close to the Castello Doria. The church is also known today as the Sanctuary of the White Madonna (Santuario della Madonna Bianca), the White Madonna being the patron saint of Portovenere.   SHORT HISTORY According to some historical sources, a first church was erected here in Romanesque style starting with 1098, on a place where, in ancient times, there was probably a temple dedicated to Jupiter. The church was consecrated in 1130 by Pope Innocent II. At the end of the 14th century, the Church of San Lorenzo inherited the parochial title from the Church of San Pietro. In 1340, a fire damaged the church and, in 1494, the building was partially destroyed by the incursion of the Aragonese. For these reasons, the church underwent restoration works between 1494 and 1582. These interventions consisted in the replacement of the black Portoro marble columns with white marble columns, the demolition of the presbytery’s nave tower and its replacement with an octagonal dome, the reconstruction of the bell tower next to the apse and the replacement Read more [...]

The Church of the Immaculate Conception (Chiesa dell’Immacolata Concezione) is a beautiful church in Sestri Levante, located on an elevated position to the east of Baia del Silenzio.   SHORT HISTORY The first Capuchin friars arrived in the village in 1609, and settled right in the center of Sestri Levante. In 1640, they built a church with a conventual structure attached, the today’s complex of the Church of San Pietro in Vincoli. The urbanization of the town in the following years, which no longer allowed the friars proper isolation from the population, led them to choose a more isolated location on the hill located east of the Bay of Silence. The construction of the new complex began in 1683 and ended in 1688, the year of the transfer of the order to the new convent. The former complex was sold in 1686 to the Secular Priests of San Pietro in Vincoli. In the agreement signed with the Seculars, it was agreed that any work of art and furnishings should remain the property of the Capuchins. The property of the convent was managed directly by the friars until 1866 when, for unknown reasons, the church and the convent were sold to Read more [...]

The Church of Santa Maria di Nazareth is a beautiful church in Sestri Levante, located in Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, near the wonderful Baia del Silenzio.   SHORT HISTORY The presence of a small chapel dedicated to Saint Mary of Nazareth is attested on this place as early as 1368. In 1604, the building of a new church began, supervised by the architect Gio Batta Carbone, who will finish the work almost 12 years later, in 1616. The church inherited the title of co-cathedral of the diocese of Brugnato from the pre-existing Church of San Nicolò, and was the residence of the bishops of the diocese from the 16th to the 18th century. In the first half of the 19th century, Giambattista Prato restructured the facade of the church, also adding a neoclassical pronaos.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The interior has a structure with three naves divided by square pillars with pilasters on which rounded arches rest. The decorations are dated between the 18th and 19th centuries. The central nave has a barrel vault with lunettes, a raised presbytery and a semicircular apse. In the side aisles there are several side chapels with small cross vaults. The high altar with polychrome Read more [...]

The Church of San Giovanni Battista is a Catholic church located in the upper part of the historical center of Riomaggiore, in Via Pecunia, 47.   SHORT HISTORY The church was built in Romanesque style in 1340, as stated by a plaque on the facade, at the behest of the bishop of the diocese of Luni, Antonio Fieschi. Due to a collapse of the church, an important restoration was carried out between 1870 and 1871. The extension of the complex and the reconstruction of the facade in Neo-Gothic style preserved, however, the 14th-century rose window in white Carrara marble.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE On the right side of the church, there are still visible today the single-lancet windows and the two entrances in Gothic style decorated with zoomorphic and anthropomorphic elements dated back to the Romanesque period. The interior has a basilica plan and is divided into three naves, with ogival arches. The presbytery and the two end chapels, all closed by a balustrade with statues, have a late Baroque appearance. Behind the main altar, adorned with two 18th-century statues, there is a beautiful wooden choir. Two other marble altars are on the sides. The one on the right is Read more [...]

The Church of Santa Margherita d’Antiochia is located in the seaside village of Vernazza, near the main square of the town, Piazza Guglielmo Marconi.   SHORT HISTORY It seems that a first church in Romanesque style was built on this place in the 11th century. Two centuries later, the current church was raised on the foundations of the previous one, of which only the apse remained. The new building is mentioned for the first time in a document from 1318. Between the 16th and 17th centuries, the structure was considerably enlarged, however, destroying the medieval facade. In the 18th century, the church underwent a new renovation, with the interior being redecorated in Baroque style. From the 19th century, the access to the church is made from the square, through a door built in the apse area. Between 1964 and 1970, new restorations were made: the wooden roof was replaced, the bell tower was elevated and the interior was again redecorated in Romanesque style.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The church has a 40-meter-high octagonal bell-tower, crowned with arches and with an ogival dome on top. Inside, there are two paintings from the 17th century, a processional crate and a wooden crucifix, Read more [...]

Along with the sea, the beach and the colorful buildings, the back of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta completes the superb painting of this beautiful seaside town named Camogli.   SHORT HISTORY The church was built, according to historical sources, in the 12th century, on a rock in the immediate vicinity of the marina. Over the years, the structure has undergone various interventions and extensions, especially in the 16th century and in the 19th century. In 1970, in the three niches of the facade facing the small Isola square, the statues of the saints Prospero, Fortunato and the Madonna del Boschetto were placed. The building was consecrated in 1826 by the Archbishop of Genoa, Monsignor Luigi Lambruschini, and again, in 1847, by Monsignor Placido Maria Tadini.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The interior, decorated in Baroque style, consists of three naves and is entirely covered with fine stuccos in gold and polychrome marble. In the vault, frescoes of the late 19th century are preserved, made by the painters Nicolò Barabino and Francesco Semino. The high altar was made by the sculptor Andrea Casareggio, while in the sacristy we can find a painting by Luca Cambiaso. The chapels of the right Read more [...]

The Church of San Giorgio is a small Catholic church in Portofino, located on an elevated position, enjoying a panoramic view of the Marina di Portofino. The church is dedicated to Saint George, a soldier in the Roman army and member of the Praetorian Guard for Roman emperor Diocletian, who was sentenced to death for refusing to renounce his Christian faith.   SHORT HISTORY According to a plaque located inside the church, the structure was built in Romanesque style in 1154. The church was revised and modified in 1691 and, at the same time, the road of Salita San Giorgio was widened, allowing the locals to reach the church from the main square of the village. A further restoration took place in 1760. During the Second World War, the church was completely destroyed by a bomb. The reconstruction work started after the end of the conflict, in 1950, and the church was rebuilt following the plans of 1760. Inside the church, there are the relics of Saint George, the patron saint of Portofino, brought by the sailors returning from the Crusades.   HOW TO GET THERE You can get to the Church of San Giorgio after a short climb of Read more [...]