19 October 2018
La Cervara Abbazia di San Girolamo al Monte di Portofino
The Cervara Abbey is situated on a sheer cliff between Santa Margherita and Portofino. Today it is mainly used for conferences, meetings, concerts, private parties and wedding ceremonies. Guests of the events have another privilege: stay in one of the 9 rooms in the Abbey and the ancient Saracen Tower.
The abbey was founded in 1361 by a small group of Benedictine monks and in its 7 centuries of history it has seen peaks of great splendour and lows of decline, which is reflected in the various architectural transformations of the building.
Of particular importance is the monumental Italian garden, the only one still in Liguria, on two levels connected by pergolas and steps. On the lower part, box-tree hedges (Buxus Sempervirens L.) are shaped in geometric designs such as cones and graded cones (a noteworthy example of the artistic shaping of plants), surround the 17th century marble fountain representing a putto.
The plants along the walls or along the borders as well as the vines on the ancient pergolas are all part of the garden architecture.
Among the numerous species we can find the colourful strelitzia, citrus plants, oleander and Aleppo pines, a centuries-old pepper tree and the rare pink capers.
On the East side of the lower garden the pergola is covered with a huge purple wisteria (Wisteria sinesis L.) more than a hundred years old. On the upper part of the garden there are octagonal pillars covered with Trachelospermum jasminoides L., whose flowers give off a delightful jasmine.
The abbey was founded in 1361 by a small group of Benedictine monks and in its 7 centuries of history it has seen peaks of great splendour and lows of decline, which is reflected in the various architectural transformations of the building.
Of particular importance is the monumental Italian garden, the only one still in Liguria, on two levels connected by pergolas and steps. On the lower part, box-tree hedges (Buxus Sempervirens L.) are shaped in geometric designs such as cones and graded cones (a noteworthy example of the artistic shaping of plants), surround the 17th century marble fountain representing a putto.
The plants along the walls or along the borders as well as the vines on the ancient pergolas are all part of the garden architecture.
Among the numerous species we can find the colourful strelitzia, citrus plants, oleander and Aleppo pines, a centuries-old pepper tree and the rare pink capers.
On the East side of the lower garden the pergola is covered with a huge purple wisteria (Wisteria sinesis L.) more than a hundred years old. On the upper part of the garden there are octagonal pillars covered with Trachelospermum jasminoides L., whose flowers give off a delightful jasmine.
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Beauty surrounds us, but usually we need to be walking in a garden to know it.- Rumi - |
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