La Cervara is an antique monastery located in Portofino Penisula. On the road from Santa Margherita Ligure to Portofino. It is one of the most fascinating places in Liguria! I highly recommend you visit it!
History
The monastery was built in the 14th century by the Benedictine brothers. In the 15th century, it became increasingly independent from the Vatican and became increasingly influential. In the 16th century, La Cervara briefly became a prison for the French king Francis I. In 1797 the monastery, like all the others in Liguria, was closed by decree of Napoleon Bonaparte. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the building changed owners and purpose. Finally, in 1990 it passed into the hands of the current owners and was transformed into a hotel.
Visit
As I mentioned above, La Cervara is privately owned and transformed into a hotel and a place where ceremonies and events are organized. However, the owners, aware of the uniqueness of the place, allow tourists to visit the historical part. Several times a year, “open days” are organized. You can visit the cloister, church and Italian-style garden. You can also make a private visit to the monastery by contacting La Cervara directly on the website.
Gerard David
In the XVI century Vincenzo Sauli, a member of the influential Genoese patrician family, commissioned a polyptych made up of seven panels, painted by an important, Netherlad artist Gerard David. The work was outstandingly beautiful. However, at the end of the XIX century, the polyptych was dismantled. Four panels are now in Palazzo Bianco in Genoa, one in the Louvre in Paris and two in MOMA in New York. The work is known as the “Polyptych of La Cervara”. More info here.
Gardens
The current appearance of the gardens is due to their 18th-century styling. An Italian-style garden located on a cliff above the sea. It consists of a system of loggias, paths, and terraces, and everything is crowned by double, monumental stairs leading to the monastery. The garden has various specimens of flowering plant species that bloom at different times of the year. Thanks to this, the garden is always full of flowers. However, La Cervara is known primarily for wisteria. Trees that have beautiful, purple flowers that smell wonderful. It is especially during the wisteria blooming period that the La Cervara “open house” is organized. A phenomenal experience!
