Romanesque in the hinterland
In the green valleys of the hinterland of Chiavari, in the Val Sturla, near the village of Borzonasca, the Abbey of Sant'Andrea di Borzone is one of the most beautiful and evocative Romanesque monuments of Liguria, immersed in a silent landscape of chestnut woods and meadows, far from the crowds of the coast. Its origins date back to the early Middle Ages, when a first church was founded here, perhaps by monks of the abbey of Bobbio; in 1184 it was given to the Benedictine monks of the Genoese abbey of San Benigno, who built the present complex, in the shapes of the Lombard Romanesque.
The church, built in stone and brick with a simple, harmonious façade, is accompanied by a massive square bell tower, crowned by battlements, which made it look like a fortress, and by the remains of the monastic buildings and the cloister. Inside, the single nave preserves an atmosphere of austere spirituality, with ancient frescoes and a wooden ceiling. A short walk away, on a rock wall in the woods, is one of the most mysterious places in Liguria: the Megalithic Face of Borzone, a huge human face about seven metres high, carved into the rock, of uncertain origin and date, which some attribute to prehistoric peoples and others to the medieval monks. The valley is also a starting point for hikes in the Aveto Natural Park, with its lakes, forests and mountains.
Tip: combine the abbey with the Megalithic Face, signposted from the village; check the opening times of the church.
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