Ex Chiesa Anglicana

Built for Bordighera’s British community, the former Anglican church was consecrated as All Saints in November 1883. The Municipality bought the church in 1984 and restored it as a multipurpose cultural centre.

Why it matters

The church reflects the growth of Bordighera’s nineteenth-century British community. Before it had a dedicated building, worship took place at the Hotel d’Angleterre from 1863, then at the Hotel Lozeron from 1865 to 1873 and in a private chapel at Villa Rosa. A purpose-built church followed on land belonging to the Fanshawe family, with financial support from English benefactor Charles Henry Lowe.

What to notice

The local-stone church has three naves divided by large pillars. Its restrained neo-Gothic forms are characteristic of nineteenth-century Reformed churches in Italy. An enlargement in 1890 brought the building to its present dimensions, and the Ministry of Culture describes its appearance as preserving the late-nineteenth-century character.

Context and history

Bordighera’s Anglican congregation had a pastor appointed by the Bishop of Gibraltar by 1864. The church was consecrated in November 1883 as All Saints Church and enlarged in 1890. In 1984 the Municipality of Bordighera acquired the building and restored it. It now serves as a multipurpose cultural centre, used with the neighbouring Palazzo del Parco for concerts, exhibitions, conferences and theatre.