History and Culture: Religious Architecture

Parish Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Lemeglio)

Lemeglio: The Village Overlooking the Sea

Perched on the hill above Moneglia, the small village of Lemeglio hides a gem between sea and rocks: the church dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta. Its roots go back to the 9th century, when the chapel with the land of Santa Maria di Lemeglio was listed among the possessions of the Bobbio Monastery, a sign of the area’s spiritual importance since the early Middle Ages.

Historical Traces Through the Centuries

The church also appears in later documents: in 1224 it is mentioned as “ecclesia de Lemeio,” while in 1413 it was assigned to the rector of the church of San Saturnino. A donation of five lire in 1492 for the repair of the building indicates that, although probably already completed, the church required maintenance, confirming its central role in the life of the local community.

A Stairway Carved into the Rock

Access to the church is via a staircase almost certainly carved into the rock, its path perfectly following the natural morphology of the hill. This natural connection between architecture and landscape gives the building a unique scenic appearance, as if the church had been sculpted together with the hill, in harmony with its surroundings.

The Madonna Reading: A Hidden Treasure

Next to the church, an old abandoned oil mill holds a small niche with a sculpture of the Madonna reading a book. Although simple, the image is of great historical and artistic interest: this iconography, now rare, was common before the Counter-Reformation, suggesting that the sculpture dates back to before the second half of the 16th century. A detail that combines devotion, art, and history in a small, precious corner of Lemeglio.

Sources

Migliaro R. et alii, “Tra boschi e ulivi. 22 percorsi escursionistici nel territorio di Moneglia. Ediz. italiana, inglese e tedesca”, De Ferrari editore, Genova, 2019;
Tomaini P., “Moneglia: notizie storiche”, Centro editoriale, 1980;
pannelli esplicativi a cura del Comune di Moneglia (assessorato alla cultura), M. Dentone, R. Migliaro, A. Rodolo, L. Cavicchioli.

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