La Cervara - Abbazia di San Girolamo al Monte di Portofino

Information

Opening Hours - 2026 Season
From March to October, the first and third Sunday of the month, with guided tours.

Visit Calendar
March 1: 10:00, 11:00, and 12:00
March 15: 10:00, 11:00, and 12:00
April 5: 10:00, 11:00, and 12:00
April 19: 10:00, 11:00, and 12:00
May 3: 10:00, 11:00, and 12:00
May 17: 10:00, 11:00, and 12:00
June 7: 10:00, 11:00, and 12:00
June 21: 2:00, 3:00, and 4:00
July 5: 11:00 and 12:00
July 19: 2:00, 3:00, and 4:00
August 2: 11:00 and 12:00
August 16: 11:00 and 12:00
September 6: 10:00, 11:00, and September 20: 10:00, 11:00, and 12:00
October 4: 10:00, 11:00, and 12:00
October 18: 10:00, 11:00, and 12:00

Entrance
Adults: € 15.00
Concessions: € 12.00

PRIVATE VISITS: € 25.00
Upon reservation with a minimum of 6 people during the week and a minimum of 12 people on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Ticket: Euro 25 per person.

GUIDED TOURS FOR GROUPS: € 360.00
For a minimum of 30 people it is possible to visit the Abbey every day of the year accompanied by accredited guides in English, German, Spanish and French. Reservation required.

Contact us
Lungomare Rossetti
Via Cervara, 10
16038 S. Margherita Ligure (GE)

T. +39 0185 293139

www.cervara.it

History

The first inhabitants of the place were a few Benedictine monks who in 1361 founded a monastery there and dedicated it to Saint Girolamo.
What was once the vegetable garden of the monks is today the only Italian-style Garden in Liguria overlooking the sea. The box hedges (Buxus Sempervirens L.), skilfully pruned in the shape of geometric designs, according to the best traditions of topiare, surround the marble seventeenth century fountain portraying a putto. The plants against the walls or along the borders are an integral part of the design of the Monumental Garden together with the grape vines on the antique pergolas. In the flower-beds, a quantity of flower species, diverse in order to guarantee blossoming throughout the year, alternate with plants with coloured foliage.
Among the species, the brightly coloured strelitzias, specimens of citrus fruit trees, the exotic bougainvillea, the singular erythrine (Erythrina Crista-galli) and again, pine trees, an ancient false pepper tree and the very rare pink capers (Capparis Spinosa L.). The quiet courtyard shaded by a centuries- old wisteria (Wisteria Sinesis L.) and the pergola of the upper garden, whose pillars are covered in Rhynchospermum, or false jasmine (Rhynchospermum jasminoides L.), provide charming, perfumed – even if short-lasting – bloomings.
The strategic position makes it an ideal venue for organizing exclusive events or meetings which just require privacy and intimacy.
Our guests have the privilege of choosing whether to stay in one of the bedrooms of the Convento, in the ancient Torre Saracena or to isolate themselves in the Suite that once hosted Francis I, King of France.

The Great Green. Eco-sustainable practices

La Cervara-Abbazia di San Girolamo al Monte di Portofino is actively committed to promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. Over the years, it has implemented several initiatives:

◈ Energy efficiency
Installation of a gas-fired microturbine operating according to the principle of trigeneration, which allows for the combined production of electricity and thermal energy (heat) from a primary energy source, as well as the production of cooling energy through thermal energy recovery through refrigeration cycles. All areas of the complex are air-conditioned by heating/cooling systems with radiant floor panels powered by the trigeneration system.

◈ Enhancement, implementation, and redevelopment of the plant heritage
Expansion of the area designated for the ''Garden of Simples'', consisting of plots of low box hedges containing specimens of ancient citrus varieties, with the creation of a vegetable garden. Seasonal vegetables
and aromatic herbs create a unique setting with the variety of citrus trees present and the availability of locally sourced produce. The aromatic herbs in the garden, along with the citrus trees, strawberry trees, ivy, and honeysuckle, are honey-producing species favored by bees.

◈ Eco-friendly management of greenery
Lawn nutrition was carried out using organo-mineral fertilizers both in the spring and summer months, thus eliminating the use of slow-release chemical fertilizers. The use of slow-release fertilizers minimized leaching and nutrient loss and also provided humified organic matter, essential for increasing useful biomass in the soil. Lawn mowing was mostly done with electric robot lawnmowers capable of mulching the lawn, thus significantly reducing the need for fertilizer in the annual nutrition plan. At the end of winter, all lawns were overseeded to increase density and aesthetic quality. This minimized weed growth and consequently the need for selective herbicides. To protect against pathogenic fungi, a biological defense protocol was adopted using specific bio-activated products based on Trichoderma and Bacillus. In spring, soil coring and sandblasting improved the structure and drainage of the topsoil, reducing compaction, waterlogging, and the lawn's susceptibility to environmental and fungal stress.

◈ Water Savings
A marine desalination plant is present, allowing the recovery of seawater for sanitary (services), therapeutic (thalassotherapy), recreational (swimming pool), and irrigation purposes.
Rainwater is systematically recovered for irrigation purposes using a collection system with a pumping unit.

◈ Environmental Education and Outreach
An information and outreach campaign has been launched, including the activation of appropriate social media content and the placement of specific information points along the complex's main visitor routes. These points are designed to blend harmoniously into the surrounding environment and aim to inform visitors about the eco-sustainable initiatives and practices implemented at the Cervara complex.

Grandi Giardini Italiani Srl

Grandi Giardini Italiani Srl