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A sign of the presence of Bobbio in Liguria, in the area closest to the city of Genoa, is represented by a votive and propitiatory procession lasting three days that took place from Moránego, in the upper Val Bisagno, to the abbey of San Fruttuoso di Capodimonte, on the promontory of Portofino. The procession, which gathered the populations of the parishes of the parish of Bargagli, started from the church of Saint Columban in Moránego and after a first stop at the Scoffera Pass, in a large meadow still called Piano di San Fruttuoso, continued to Bargagli, Sant’Oberto, Pánnesi, Córnua, Testana, San Rocco, Recco, Camogli, San Rocco di Ruta and Pietre Strette, where the steep descent towards the destination began. Along the way, the participants, accompanied by the clergy, stopped at the numerous places of worship dedicating themselves to devotional practices that ended with a solemn rite inside the abbey. The origin of this tradition, which ceased in 1851 due to the theft of the silver cross carried in procession, is lost over the centuries and is even traced back to Columbanus, who on the occasion of a journey to Genoa and Capodimonte would have stopped in Moránego leaving a memory of him in exchange for the benevolent hospitality received.Of this singular testimony of faith remain the dedication of the church of Moránego to the holy abbot of Bobbio, a rich archival documentation concerning the recurring contrasts on the direction of the ceremonial of the procession and a solid memory concerning the presence of a monastic settlement in Bobbio in San Fruttuoso.
This settlement, prior to the arrival (in 711, according to an accredited tradition) of the remains of the first bishop of Tarragona and his deacons Augurio and Eulogio, would be reflected in a collection of prayers dating back to the seventh century, the so-called “orational of Verona”, preserved in the chapter library of that city and containing additions of the eighth century referable to the three Spanish martyr saints.
A legendary tradition, not supported by documents, speaks of a pilgrimage that Columbanus would have made from Bobbio to Saint Fruttuoso di Capodimonte, and of his passage on the Scoffera and Moranego (later part of the properties of the abbey of Saint Columban of Bobbio in the court of Saint Onorato of Patrania of Torriglia), where the church dedicated to the patron saint was later built and where he would have left a cross guarded for centuries in memory of the passage. In memory of these facts, the population of Moranego and the surrounding area used to go in procession for centuries carrying the cross to Saint Fruttuoso of Capodimonte.
From time immemorial and until the middle of the present century (we are talking about 1800), the peoples of Moranego and Davagna, under a single banner, followed by free intervention by Marseilles, Calvari, Rosso, Bargagli, Traso and Vallebuona, used to carry out every year on the third day of Pentecost a Procession of Penance to the Abbey of S. Fruttuoso in Capo di Monte near Portofino. On the journey they crossed the territory of Bargagli, Testana, Recco, Camogli and Ruta from where they descended to the rocks of S. Fruttuoso. The purpose of this pilgrimage is mentioned by Monsignor Giustiniani where he writes: “The people of Terrazza receive many times expressed miracles of water and sun used to return for these calamities”
Here is the origin and form of this Procession:
It is tradition that St. Columbanus went at the beginning of the sixth century from Bobbio to a certain church that was in Capo di Monte near Portofino under the title of St. Fruttuoso and that on returning to his monastery of Bobbio, after having stayed in the place of Moranego, he gave this people a relic enclosed in a cross with the promise that whenever the inhabitants of the valley of Bargagli in their needs, of sun or rain, had they gone with that relic to visit the body of St. Fructuosus in the Abbey near Portofino, they would not have lacked the benign assistance of the Saint for which they would have obtained – de rore coeli – et de pinguedine terrae. This is the origin of the Procession. Later serious inefficiencies arose to disturb pious practice, sometimes because of the parish priests who disputed the precedence in the procession and in the Sacred Functions, now because of the parishioners who disagreed with the itinerary. The first to try their hand were the parishes of Moranego and Davagna, which later allied to wage war on the Parish of Bargagli. For such quarrels, which were often fomenting brawls and causing death, the Procession was suspended several times. On both sides the reasons were brought to the Curia, or to the Senate, which through the Captain of Bisagno, communicated his “lauds or decrees” to the contenders. Bargagli had two defeats: the first in 1714, when the Senate and the Archbishop Cardinal Lorenzo Fieschi decreed – the Abbey Cross of S. Colombano and the Standard to be the property of the peoples of Moranego and Davagna, and the Archpriest of Bargagli had no right to it, nor should he have interference in the Procession: the second in 1745, when for resurrected questions, the Senate and Archbishop Nicolò Maria De Franchi recalled the same decree into force. It was at this time that Moranego and Davagna, drunk with victory, although they wanted to make the Procession, but fearing to pass through the parts of Bargagli, decided to pass on to the side of Rosso, S. Martino d’Albaro and so on along the Riviera, thus doubling the journey and the fatigue. But the differences ceased and the disagreements were removed with the convention of 24 April 1815 by deed of Not. Luigi Guano da Torriglia, signed by the RR. Parish priests of Bargagli, Davagna and Moranego with their respective Massari, Fabbricieri and leaders of the people. The convention, which consists of four articles, says how parish priests and parishioners are to be contained in “actu processionis”. The form of the Procession was very simple. It began with the people of Moranego who, under the Cross enclosing the Relic donated by St. Columbanus, went to the Church of Davagna, then to the Parish Church of Bargagli, and so from Parish to Parish, until they reached the Abbey of Portofino.
The procession entered the churches located along the road they traveled, then the Antiphon and the Oremus of the Titular Saint were sung, then the songs and prayers resumed and the road continued.
In the Church of Recco and Camogli the Archpriest of Bargagli made the ritual prayers. The Functions in the Church of S. Fruttuoso in Capo di Monte, that is, the Solemn Mass, the presentation of the Sacred Relic, the Blessing and the Offering of the waxes, as well as the other ceremonies and prayers usually to be practiced, were the responsibility of the Rector of Moranego. Many of the pilgrims received Holy Communion. The feast ended with the kiss of the Holy Relic donated by St. Columbanus and with the offering to the Altar of St. Fruttuoso of six large candles, which the Mayor of the Valley of Bargagli, annually had to provide at the expense of the Municipality (Acts Not. Gio. Batta Fossa 14 June 1714 done on the Scoffera, fief of Prince Doria). For about fifteen years the Procession was suspended.
In the Church of Recco and Camogli the Archpriest of Bargagli made the ritual prayers. The Functions in the Church of S. Fruttuoso in Capo di Monte, that is, the Solemn Mass, the presentation of the Sacred Relic, the Blessing and the Offering of the waxes, as well as the other ceremonies and prayers usually to be practiced, were the responsibility of the Rector of Moranego. Many of the pilgrims received Holy Communion. The feast ended with the kiss of the Holy Relic donated by St. Columbanus and with the offering to the Altar of St. Fruttuoso of six large candles, which the Mayor of the Valley of Bargagli, annually had to provide at the expense of the Municipality (Acts Not. Gio. Batta Fossa 14 June 1714 done on the Scoffera, fief of Prince Doria). For about fifteen years the Procession was suspended.
Of this singular testimony of faith remain the dedication of the church of Moránego to the Holy Abbot of Bobbio, a rich archival documentation concerning the recurring contrasts on the direction of the ceremonial of the procession and a solid memory concerning the presence of a monastic settlement in Bobbio in San Fruttuoso.
This settlement, prior to the arrival (in 711, according to an accredited tradition) of the remains of the first bishop of Tarragona and his deacons Augurius and Eulogius, would be reflected in a collection of prayers dating back to the seventh century, the so-called “orational of Verona”, preserved in the chapter library of that city and containing additions of the eighth century referable to the three Spanish martyr saints.
As mentioned above, the votive procession ceased in 1851 due to the theft of the silver cross carried in procession.
Saint Fruttuoso di Capodimonte is the Benedictine monastery located in the deepest inlet of the Portofino Promontory. Part of the current abbey dates back to the X-XI century and the first known document dates back to 977. The body of the monumental complex jutting out towards the sea, which includes the beautiful loggia with two orders of three-light windows, was built in the thirteenth century thanks to donations from the Doria family. The nolare tower is one of the oldest architectural elements in Liguria. In the tenth century, an octagonal tower was superimposed on the spherical cap, slightly oval. In 1467 it became Commenda and in 1551 Andrea Doria obtained the patronage from Pope Julius III in exchange for the construction of the defensive tower, known as the “Doria Tower”, which was completed in 1562.
In 1915 a ruinous flood seriously damaged the complex, the landslide material carried downstream by the meteoric event constituted the beach today in front of the Abbey. The entire complex was donated, in 1983, by the Doria Pamphilj family to the FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano) which carried out new restorations, also setting up a museum inside the complex dedicated to the history of the Abbey and the Benedictine monks.
