The church of Saint

Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cru ...

is a church located in Piazza del Popolo in the centre of Bordighera on the

Riviera ''Riviera'' () is an Italian word which means "coastline", ultimately derived from Latin , through Ligurian . It came to be applied as a proper name to the coast of Liguria, in the form ''Riviera ligure'', then shortened in English. The two areas ...

in Province of Imperia, Liguria, Italy. The church is home to the parish of Bordighera and of the Nervia Valley diocese of Ventimiglia- Sanremo. The church is part of the properties protected by the Superintendent of Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism (Italy).

History and description

Built in the early 17th century, the church was consecrated in 1617 and later renovated in 1866 embellishing it with new gilded stucco. According to local tales, the residents of the parish paid for the renovations with the spontaneous donation of jewelry to the parish priest. Between 1881 and 1883 there was a second restoration, and it seems that the pastor, Father James Avenue, due to the very small budget, urged businessmen, artists and intellectuals to participate in various ways in the restoration of the religious building. Thanks to a letter of businessmen Mombelli and Bulgheroni, we know that the plans were sent to Charles Garnier (architect). Without reliable data it can only be supposed that Garnier provided some simple advice to the restoration of the church. The facade, decorated with Rococo style stucco is from 1906. Above the

portal Portal often refers to: * Portal (architecture), an opening in a wall of a building, gate or fortification, or the extremities (ends) of a tunnel Portal may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Gaming * ''Portal'' (series), two video games ...

is a fresco depicting ''

'' (1742) by Giacomo Raimondo, subsequently upgraded in 1922 by

Luigi Morgari Luigi Morgari (1 January(?) 1857 in Turin – 1 January(?) 1935 in Turin) was an Italian painter, primarily of frescoes on religious themes. Biography He was born to a family of artists. His first studies were with his father Paolo Emilio ...

. The

Stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...

, dating from 1670, are the work of Francesco Marvaldi (1647-1706), member of the family of Marvaldi Candeasco at

Oneglia Oneglia ( lij, Inêia or ) is a former town in northern Italy on the Ligurian coast, in 1923 joined to Porto Maurizio to form the Comune of Imperia. The name is still used for the suburb.Roy Palmer Domenico, ''The regions of Italy: a reference gu ...

, famous architects of the time. The

chandelier A chandelier (; also known as girandole, candelabra lamp, or least commonly suspended lights) is a branched ornamental light fixture designed to be mounted on ceilings or walls. Chandeliers are often ornate, and normally use incandescent li ...

in the middle of the vault is a gift from Queen Margherita of Savoy. On the main altar is a marble statue of the 18th century, the '’'Maddalena in Gloria'’', designed by

Filippo Parodi Filippo Parodi (1630 – 22 July 1702) was an Italian sculptor of the Baroque period, "Genoa's first and greatest native Baroque sculptor". Biography Born in Genoa into a family of sculptors, Parodi developed his facility with wood, then tr ...

and possibly carved by his son

Domenico Parodi Domenico Parodi (1672 – 19 December 1742, in Genoa) was an Italian painter, as well as a sculptor and architect, of the late-Baroque. He was the son of the famous Genoese sculptor Filippo Parodi and the older brother of the Baroque painter Gi ...

between 1714 and 1717. The wooden statue of the Our Lady of the Rosary of 1702 is placed on a side ''Rosary'' altar, while the famous wax statue in which are placed the relics of Sant'Ampelio - patron of Bordighera - is positioned in the second altar on the right of the church. The

Bell tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell tower ...

, separated from the church, stands above a Loggia of the late Middle Ages, dominating the profile of the ''Old Town'' with a Spire decorated with painted Maiolica tiles. Historically it was a medieval watchtower, used by the inhabitants to watch for pirate boats coming from the sea, which was frequent in that period. The tower was later elevated to become in the 18th century the current bell tower.

Photo gallery

Chiesa Santa Maddalena altare.jpg, Main altar of St. Mary Magdalen Church Chiesa Sta Maddalena veduta laterale.jpg, Church St. Mary Magdalen inner right view Chiesa Santa Maddalena.jpg, Church St. Mary Magdalen inner left view

References

External links

site of the diocese of Ventimiglia-San Remo
{{coord, 43.7805, N, 7.6737, E, source:wikidata, display=title Roman Catholic churches in Liguria History of Liguria Province of Imperia