Oratories Oratorio
of Santa Caterina from Alessandria - Piazza
Sant’Ambrogio
It
was built during the first half of 1500 between
the perimeter wall of Sant’Ambrogio and the
walls that surrounded Alassio. Its origins are
connected with the still existing “Ghilda” of
Santa Caterina, one of the most ancient and
glorious in our region.
Above the “banconate” made of walnut, inside
elegant stucco frames, there are paintings representing
several saints according to the conventional
typology of the imaginary devotion of the post
counciliar age.
The imposing central altar is in marble, surmounted
by four big columns of black marble from Greece;
in the middle of them there is a large niche
with a front of sculptured marble, in which
is the remarkable polychromatic wooden processional
chest by Anton Maria Maragliano.
Above the lateral altar stands the marble statue
of S. Antonio Abate, the work of the Genoese
sculptor Taddeo Carlone.
The choir gallery with its organ, (the most
ancient in the area), built by the famous 17th
century organ-maker
Giovanni Oltrachino from Pavia, is a beautiful
example of engraving and gilding of the baroque
age.
Oratory of
Sant’Erasmo - Via Garibaldi (Borgo Coscia)
It
was built in 1614 at the expense of coral-divers.
Over the central door stands a beautiful marble
statue of the Madonna del Popolo, an excellent
work of the 17th century. Inside, at the center
of the ceiling there is a gouache fresco with
the figure of Sant’Erasmo; above the altar there
is the altar piece of the famous Genoese painter
Giovanni Andrea De Ferrari.
Also the 18th century Spanish made wooden statues
of Sant’Erasmo and the sea pebble floor of the
front portico made in 1640 representing boats
used for coral diving and fish (tuna), are quite
interesting
Oratory of
the Madonna del Vento - Parco Fuor del Vento
This
oratory, dedicated to the Presentation, standing
along the mule track which from Parco Fuor del
Vento to Regione Costa was built in the middle
of the of the 13th century by seamen from Alassio
and then re-built in 1400 and during the first
half of the 17th century.
The façade, decorated with stripes, figures,
stucco ornaments and graphite marks, are of
a certain artistic interest.
Chapel of
San Rocco - Regione San Rocco
The
Chapel dedicated to the Madonna della Consolazione
was built in 1253 and for three centuries it
was named after S. Rocco who had stopped in
Alassio at the Ospitium Pauperum of Santa Maria
della Carità. Its portico is joined to the façade
under which passed the mule track to Moglio.
Inside, on the altar made of precious marbles,
one can see the great altar piece of the 17th
century Genoese school, representing the Virgin
sitting and holding the Bambino with St Sebastiano
and St Rocco at their side. Other saints are
represented on the right and left walls.
Sanctuary
of the Madonna della Guardia
The
Sanctuary of Maria Santissima, under the title
of the Guardia was built in 1200. Its origin
is not due to a miraculous event but rather
to the devotion of the people from Alassio and
in particular the seamen who wanted to honor
the Virgin under whose protection they sailed
by building a small Chapel in which the image
of the Stella Maris is kept.
At the beginning of the 17th century it was
enlarged and in the years 1864-65, the construction
of the apse and of the entrance portico took
place. The Sanctuary is situated on top of Mount
Tirasso (586 m), the highest pass in the area
which dominates the whole gulf of Alassio. The
mount owes its name to the Medieval castle,
the “castrum tiraculi” whose ruins are still
visible.
The interior of the church has an 18th century
plan with three naves supported by pillars and
in the center of the apse stands the ancient
and venerated marble statue of the celestial
Guardian. In the Chapel of the left nave, there
is a wooden group of the Madonna della Guardia
who appeared in 1490 on mount Figogna in Genova.
The monumental marble altar dates back to 1600.
The whole vault of the central nave was frescoed
in the years 1859-60 by the painter Vittorio
Grana. Worthy of consideration are the imposing
and solemn altar which stands at the center
of the presbytery and the organ with mechanical
transmission which was rebuilt with nineteen
century material.
The church houses many “ex voto” and it is surrounded
by a vast green park visited by many tourists.
On the hills all around, there is again the
Madonna delle Grazie, known as “Casté”,
the first inhabited place and inside the little
church we can see the most ancient coat of arms
of Alassio, Moglio ancient country hamlet surrounded
by olive trees, Caso, Solva and Vegliasco
the hamlet connected with the legend of Adelasia
and Aleramo.
An Alassio entirely to be discovered...
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