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The church of St John the Baptist in Cervo stands monumentally in the centre of the village on the Riviera, making it clearly visible above all from the sea. It is fascinating to think what a joy it must have been for the sailor who, perhaps after months of sailing, perhaps after facing the dangers of the sea, and those of men, could finally catch a glimpse of it from afar, gradually becoming more and more detailed and splendid to the eye: it meant being back, at last, home. This splendid monument of faith was built almost exclusively with self-financing by the citizens of Cervo. Above all the coral workersorie (hence the nickname 'the church of the coral workers'), but also other craftsmen helped to finance the work. Judging by its magnificence, they were economically prosperous workers, a sign of the high quality of Ligurian craftsmanship. The construction of the church lasted almost a century, from 1686 to 1778. There were three major phases of restoration. The first was necessary after the 1887 earthquake. The second, which mainly concerns the bell tower and the floor, dates from the second half of the 20th century. The third, the most conspicuous and recent, dates from the early 2000s. The exterior of the Church of St. John the Baptist on the main façade and the bell tower is rich in stucco and polychrome decorations. Inside, the basin was frescoed by Carrega. The barrel vault of the hall was painted by the painter Graffigna of Genoa in 1887, after the devastating earthquake that destroyed Diano, Bussana, Baiardo and other villages in the area. Entering through the main door and turning to the right we find the altar dedicated to St Nicholas of Tolentino. Next is the altar of the Souls, made by Bernardo Gaggino of Genoa in 1772 and the large niche with the wooden group of St John the Baptist, a 17th-century work by Marcantonio Poggio. Then comes the altar of St Anthony: the marbles by Gaggino and the the wooden statue of the saint, of the Genoese school of 1700, are valuable. The altar of Our Lady of the Rosary was the first to be built as soon as the church was completed (around 1730); it was made by the "marble worker" Carlo Antonio Rippa of Loano. The high altar is the work of the sculptor Antonio Pittaluga of Genoa, who knew how to blend the upper and older part of the tabernacle made of precious marble and alabaster flowers with the lower part, which he masterfully designed and made into a single harmonious whole. On the left, the large wooden statue of the Our Lady of the Rosary, taken from a single stump, made in the years 1722-24 by Anton Maria Maragliano. Other works by Giò Lorenzo Bertolotto, by Pambius and again by Gaggino adorn and complete the astonishing richness of this church.

Cervo

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