Chiesa di San Giorgio

The Church of San Giorgio at Dolceacqua's cemetery is a twelfth-century Romanesque building later altered in Gothic and Baroque periods, with a crypt containing Doria family tombs.

Why it matters

San Giorgio is the oldest surviving religious building in Dolceacqua. It served as the valley's parish church before that role moved to Sant'Antonio Abate in the growing village. Its later use as a noble burial place links the church with the Doria family who ruled from the castle.

What to notice

Romanesque forms survive in the facade and lower bell tower, while later alterations shape the rest of the building. The wooden truss ceiling dates to the fourteenth century and includes rare painted beams from the fifteenth. The crypt contains monuments to Stefano Doria, dated 1580, and Giulio Doria, dated 1608, both represented in armour.

Context and history

The church was built in the twelfth century for a rural community in the Nervia valley and later functioned as a pieve. Its parish role ended in the fifteenth century when Sant'Antonio Abate became the parish church. San Giorgio then served as the Doria family's burial place and as a cemetery church. Restoration began in 1961 to stabilize the medieval fabric and protect the painted timbers.