CAMOGLI

The town of Camogli on the “Golfo Paradiso” is located west of the promontory of Portofino.

Legend has it that the name Camogli derives from the Genoese dialect “ca a muggi” (houses in piles), because of the characteristic appearance of the colorful buildings facing the beach as they cling to each other like many alert sentries.

The light colors of the horizontal lines that can be seen between the floors are called ‘marcapiano’ (floor- markers), and were used by sailors to locate their home while sailing back home.

Known as the “city of a thousand white sailing ships“, Camogli boasts a celebrated tradition in sailing, which reached its peak in the second half of 1800.

Every May the famous Fish Festival takes place: tons of fish are fried and offered to the crowd gathered for the occasion.

The huge frying pan they use weighs 26 quintals and has a diameter of 3.80 meters.

San Fruttuoso is a very ancient abbey situated in a deep set inlet of the mountain of Portofino, that is only accessible by foot or by boat.

The location includes a small beach, the monumental complex of the abbey and a few characteristic houses.

According to legend, in the VIII century because of the Arab invasion, Prospero, bishop of the Spanish town of Tarragona, escaped from his homeland and together with other monks found shelter in this bay where he built a church to preserve the relics of the martyr San Fruttuoso.
The church then passed under the control of the Benedictine monks and later on to the powerful Genoese family of Doria who decided to use one of the rooms as family crypt. In 1550 Andrea Doria also built a defensive tower to protect the entire location.
Since 1983 the abbey has been part of the architectural heritage of the FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano), thanks to the donation made by the last owners still belonging to the Doria family.
In the summer season there are festival of classical music and other initiatives promoted by the FAI.

In the bay nearby San Fruttuoso there is the statue of the “Christ of the Abyss” whose installation was promoted by legendary free diver Duilio Marcante. The Christ’s open arms facing the sky symbolize a will of protection for divers, as well as a memory for those who dedicated or sacrificed their lives to the sea.