Chiesa di San Giorgio
A yellow-and-white church on a cliff edge, visible from the water long before you reach the village — Chiesa di San Giorgio has been a landmark for sailors for centuries, which is precisely the point. The relics of Saint George, patron of Portofino, were brought here by sailors returning from the Crusades, and the church has watched over the marina ever since.
The small square out front, Piazzetta Martiri Dell'Olivetta, frames the whole façade and gives you an unobstructed line of sight back down to the harbor. The walk up from the port takes about five minutes on a steep, uneven path — slow enough to feel the shift from the waterfront crowd to something quieter.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who come back tend to time it for April 23rd, when a bonfire is lit near the waterside at 9 pm for the feast of Saint George. Outside of that, early morning on any day gets you the square and the sea view largely to yourself, before the day-trippers make the climb.
The story behind Chiesa di San Giorgio
A plaque inside the church records its first construction in 1154, in Romanesque style, though excavations carried out after World War II uncovered evidence of an older square chapel beneath — possibly from the Lombard period, pushing the site's history back considerably further.
The building was modified in 1691, when the access road was widened, then renovated and expanded again in 1760. That version was destroyed during World War II. Reconstruction began in 1950, with new altars and fixtures built to follow the layout of the 1760 church as closely as records allowed.
Good to know
From Porto di Portofino, turn left at the harbor and follow Salita San Giorgio uphill — five minutes on foot, wear shoes with grip. Entrance is free. Check locally for current opening hours before visiting. July is the driest month if you want the walk in full sun.
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What travellers say about Chiesa di San Giorgio
Beautiful Orthodox Church
Not mindblowing
The Church of San Giorgio has a unique feature: the bell tower is separate from the rest of the building. The bell tower is completely detached from the rest of the structure, almost as if it were resting on the roof of the adjacent building. In reality, this was originally the Alberici family tower, a medieval Genoese tower, which in the 17th century was incorporated into the structure of the convent that stood next to the church, connected by an overhead passageway that still exists. The existing battlements were removed from the tower, and it was raised two stories to accommodate the bells. The church is now under the temporary management of the Genoese Orthodox community.
A few steps from Porto Antico I recommend you go to Piazza San Giorgio where there is a church whose peculiarity is the bell tower, connected via a short overpass and incorporated into the adjacent building.
This Orthodox Church has been in existence for a few years. The square in front is Piazza San Giorgio. Two alleys branch off from either side of the church. The one on the right is called Vico San Bernardo, which, if followed to the end, leads to the church of San Donato. If you follow that alley, the one immediately to the left of the church is Vico dei Giustiniani, which also leads to the church of San Donato and Via Polaiuoli. The alley in front of the church leads to the Portici di Caricamento and the Porto Antico.
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