The abbey in the bay and the Christ of the Abyss
Hidden in a small, deep cove on the Portofino promontory, between steep wooded slopes, the Abbey of San Fruttuoso is one of the most enchanting places in Liguria, reachable only by sea, with boats from Camogli, Portofino and Santa Margherita, or on foot, along beautiful paths through the Portofino Natural Park, which take about two hours from Camogli or one and a half from Portofino. According to legend, the abbey was founded in the eighth century by monks who brought here the relics of Saint Fructuosus, bishop of Tarragona in Spain, guided by an angel, and in the tenth century it became a Benedictine monastery.
The complex, which stands directly on the small pebble beach, consists of the church with its octagonal dome, the cloister, the abbot's palace with its loggias overlooking the sea and, in the lower cloister, the tombs of the Doria family, the powerful Genoese family that protected the abbey from the thirteenth century. On the rocks above stands the Torre Doria, a sixteenth century watchtower against pirates. Since 1983 the abbey has belonged to the FAI, the Italian National Trust, which restored it and opened it to the public. In the waters of the bay, at a depth of about 17 metres, lies the famous Christ of the Abyss, a bronze statue by Guido Galletti placed in 1954 in memory of those who lost their lives at sea, with its arms raised towards the surface; divers and snorkellers can see it, and every summer a ceremony with a wreath is held in its honour.
Tip: in summer the beach is crowded, go early or late; check the boat times for the return, as the last one leaves in the late afternoon.
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