Abbazia di San Girolamo al Monte di Portofino

The Abbazia di San Girolamo al Monte di Portofino, commonly known as Cervara, is a medieval monastery complex founded in 1301 on the rocky promontory above Santa Margherita Ligure on the Ligurian coast. Originally a Benedictine community, the abbey reportedly hosted Pope Gregory XI in the 15th century and later served as a hermitage before passing through various religious orders. Designated an Italian national monument, the complex is now in private hands and only partially accessible to visitors, lending it an air of quiet inaccessibility rare on this otherwise tourist-heavy stretch of the Riviera. The approach road from Santa Margherita Ligure rewards the effort with sweeping views across the Gulf of Tigullio — Rapallo, Portofino, and the open Ligurian Sea spread out below the abbey walls.