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The Enviroment:
LIGURIA – Camogli - Portofino
FAI – FONDO AMBIENTE ITALIANO
To say that it is a pearl of rare beauty in the shell of the luxuriant promontory of Portofino is like tracing a cliché, but otherwise I would not know how to describe this little picturesque village in few words. Going to this place, in spite of years of visits, it is always an exciting surprise for me. In fact sea arriving away, both from west (from Camogli) or from east (Portofino), just behind to a small promontory the medieval building appears to me at once with its porch, trifore windows and bell tower. It seems a little porcelain jewel case laid down on the beach.
The first nucleus of the abbey was built around the end of the X century, from Greek monks which brought the Byzantine architectural schemes in the dome of the abbey. In the following centuries the complex was widened by Adelaide, the widow of Ottone I, and subsequently from the Benedictines, to which the abbey was left. In the XIII century was built a porched projection.
In the course of the centuries the little hermitage became a rich and powerful abbey, but on the other hand a prey for the pirates.
Towards the 16th century the complex of Saint Fruttuoso di Capodimonte was transformed in fishermen houses, often broods of pirates and finally property of the Doria Family for centuries.
In order to sight in time the danger arriving from the sea and to be able to protect the village, Andrea Doria constructed the great tower that still today dominates the bay. In 1933 the Italian State began the restoration activities after the donation to FAI from the family Doria Pamphili: 33 hectares of earth that include, to the west Cove of the Gold - today breeding zone for fishes, therefore forbidden to navigation and to swim, the sixteenth century sight-tower and part of the wooded declivity.
Here you can be only arrive via sea or from a steep path coming down from the Mount of Portofino, there is no way to reach the beach by car and just for this reason it has conserved the fascination of the past times.
Currently it is an obligatory stage for the tourists that visit the mount of Portofino.
Being Responsible
The Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano (FAI) is the National Trust of Italy. The organisation was established in 1975 on the model of the British National Trust. It is a private non-profit organisation and has 60,000 members as of early 2005. Its purpose is to protect elements of Italy's physical heritage which might otherwise be lost.
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