Madonna della Grazie trail

Open
Difficulty: Average

This trail has a fascinating history. Legend has it that the name of Alassio is derived from Adelasia, the daughter of Emperor Otto the Great. She ran off with a squire named Aleramo and settled on the hills above the Baia del Sole, giving rise to the Aleramici dynasty.

Alassio’s oldest coast of arms, depicting Adelasia on a tower, was found in the church of Madonna della Grazie, which is on the first part of this walk.
The tower shown on the crest is Vegliasco tower, which is where Adelasia took shelter with her lover Aleramo and where this trail ends.

If you decide to go for a walk on this trail, start in Piazza Sant'Ambrogio and walk uphill towards Via Michelangelo, passing the Istituto Salesiano on your left. From here, cross the railway line via the pedestrian bridge and continue walking along the road which climbs gently uphill.

On the right-hand side of the bend there is a flight of cobbled steps which climbs quite steeply past the walls of villas and gardens and, after crossing a road, leads to the distinctive collection of houses at Castè, meaning “castle”. This name reflects the fact that there was probably once a fortress on this site. And this is where we find the church of Madonna delle Grazie, built in 1266 on the site of Alassio’s old castle and repeatedly remodelled over the years.

The façade of the church has a black stone entrance topped with a fresco of the Madonna of Peace, painted in 1946 by local artist Alberto Beniscelli. Inside there is a splendid floor made from marble and slate tiles, which is typical of Ligurian churches. The main altar, dating back to the 1700s, features an altarpiece depicting the nativity of Mary by Giovanni Carlone, one of Genoa’s most important painters of the period. Alassio’s coat of arms is displayed on the organ gallery.

After a visit to the Madonna delle Grazie chuch, which is really worth the effort, continue your walk to the Vegliasco tower, a Genoan tower from the 15th or 16th century which marks the end of this fascinating journey through the history and legends of Alassio.