Genovesato (Genoese area) - Turismo in Provincia di Genova

Madonna della Guardia
Val Bisagno: ancient pievi (parishes). The Bisagno
stream flows through the valley of the same name.
The quaint Bisagno valley is charmingly dotted with
small villages, drystone walls, woods and pleasant
landscapes. From Genoa it is possible to climb
eastwards to Bargagli, a village built around the
Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Xth century) and
renovated in the XVIIth century. The Church of
Sant’Ambrogio in the hamlet of Traso features a
nativity Scene, all in slate with models of the cottages
of past times.There is another stone nativity scene to
be found in the woods around the church situated
between Vignanego and Terrusso. In the
surroundings of Davagna tourists can see the original
barns with thatched roofs, nowadays quite rare in the
valley. In Calvari it’s possible to visit the Church of
Sant’Andrea (XIV century) with its fine risseu. In the
past Calvari was a crossroads of the chestnut wood
transport route; which went down the Bisagno River
towards Genoa.This wood was used in ship building.
The Church of San Giovanni Battista in Marsiglia
(1213) keeps a shrine with the relics of San Celestino
and the processional Cross which was confiscated in
1798, and restored to the population on payment of
ransom. According to old records, the Church of San
Colombano in Moranego dates back to 1206.
In devotion to Mary
On the 29th August, 1490, on a peak
of Mount Figogna, overlooking
Livellato, a few kilometres from
Ceranesi, The Holy Virgin appeared to
the shepherd, Benedetto Pareto, as he
was watching his sheep, and asked
him to build a chapel. The following
day the shepherd was badly injured
falling from a fig tree. He was
miraculously healed by The Madonna,
and immediately began building the
chapel. In 1528, the humble chapel
was replaced by the present Santuario
della Madonna della Guardia
(Sanctuary of the Madonna who
guards over us), a neo renaissance
church, built on a Latin cross
blueprint. Its 40m high dome is
decorated with frescoes that depict
the miraculous apparition.
There is also a hospice where pilgrims
can lodge, and a gallery of ex-votos,
focal point of a village culture where
religious devotion and superstition are
inextricably intertwined. In the past,
on the surrounding hillsides were the
Perdoni. They were lookout points
from which you could observe the
sanctuary and recite the Hail Mary.
On many of these lookout points
small chapels have been erected.
(www.santuarioguardia.it).
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