Abbazia della Cervara
The abbey sits on the promontory road between Santa Margherita Ligure and Portofino, behind a gate that most drivers pass without slowing. Once inside, the cloister — construction started 1550 — opens around a courtyard where the geometry of box hedges trimmed into precise forms gives way, on the lower terrace, to a medieval medicinal garden still planted with rosemary, sage, thyme and melissa.
This is a private residence that receives visitors on a scheduled basis, which means the four-hour guided tour moves through spaces that feel genuinely lived-in rather than curated for crowds: a consecrated church on a Latin cross plan, a sixteenth-century defensive tower built against Saracen raids, and a seventeenth-century marble fountain centred on a stone putto.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who have done the tour more than once tend to linger in the medicinal garden rather than rush toward the church. The guide's explanation of how the polyptych Gerard David painted here in 1506 ended up split across three continents — panels in Genoa, New York and Paris — is worth every minute of the walk up.
The story behind Abbazia della Cervara
Ottone Lanfranco, chaplain of Santo Stefano di Genova, founded the monastery in 1361. It reached abbey status in 1546, and successive centuries added the apse, the choir, the altar and, in the eighteenth century, marble decoration and wall painting. The French conquest brought suppression and sacking late in that same century. French Trappists arrived in 1804, ran a school, and left by 1811.
The Marquis Giacomo Filippo Durazzo bought the complex in 1868 and donated it to the Somaschi Fathers three years later. French Carthusians held it from 1901 to 1937, after which it passed into private hands. Italy declared it a National Monument in 1912. A sustained restoration began in 1990, with painting conservator Pinin Brambilla Barcilon — who directed the restoration of Leonardo's Last Supper — overseeing the work on the frescoes.
Good to know
Visits are by appointment or on scheduled tour dates (March through October, typically 10:00–12:00). Adults pay €15; the tour runs roughly four hours. Train to S. Margherita Ligure Portofino, then bus 82 to the Cervara stop. Confirm dates by phone before making the trip: +39 0185 293026.
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What travellers say about Abbazia della Cervara
The Abbey is a beautiful and peaceful place to visit. Since the Abbey is a private residence, it is only open to the public on Sunday from 1000 to 1200. The tours are guided and provide the Abbey's history in both Italian and English. The Abbey's gardens are spectacular. There is no parking on the grounds.
Fabulous place on Portofino mountain, nice terraces and superb sea views.
La Cervara is one of the most exquisite and beautiful abbeys in the world. The views from the abbey are breathtaking. We were fortunate enough to have our wedding at La Cervara. The staff were very professional and both the wedding and reception were seamless. Our guests thoroughly enjoyed the dinner. The seafood is utterly amazing. If you are looking to get married in the Portofino area, we highly recommend La Cervara.
The location managers invent costs that were not discussed in advance. The staff is unfriendly, the food is below average and the communication with the location is a nightmare. Hands off! This is a rip-off! Never experienced such a bad behavior of location managers.
Beautiful old abbey with its gardens, definetly worth visiting
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