Amongst the many Italian pearls there is San Fruttuoso di Camogli, a tiny village embedded in a small creek that you can reach only by walking on difficult paths or by the sea. It is a place of ancient suggestions with its abbey older more than a thousand years and its incredible stories and legends.
Put together the beauty of the place and the passion of three friends and pioneers of the diving techniques: Duilio Marcante, Egidio Cressi e Gonzatti. Passionate friends that experimented techniques and materials in the waters that nowadays are the protected marine area of Portofino.
Researches and experiments that led to death one of the three friends, Gonzatti who died in the 1947 when he sank forever in the waters he knew so well. His friend and diving mate Duilio Marcante, decided to realize a statue of the Christ to be placed in the abyss of Portofino promontory to remember the fallen of the sea.
In 1954, the Christ of the Abyss was placed on the bottom of the sea in front of San Fruttuoso di Camogli. A statue realized melting pieces of ships and submarines. Since that year the Christ, from the depths, protects the sailors and remembers the fallen.
A suggestive view full of feelings. Close to the Christ lay also what remain of a vessel of other times. A vessel named Croesus that, the 24th of April 1885, was carrying troops and materials from Genoa to Crimea when it started burning and sank just in front of that mount. Nowadays there are only few pieces almost unrecognizable of the Croesus’ wreck.
You can admire the Christ doing snorkelling but you need effort and training as it is not so close to the beach. Another way is to dive, if you have the licence, going with one of the many diving centres available in Liguria.
In the ancient abbey there is a reproduction of the Christ for those who cannot dive or for when the weather doesn’t allow to reach him.
A visit to the Christ of the Abyss is for sure a moment of reflection and a good way to practice underwater photography.
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