Hermitage of St. Anthony of Mesco

The Eremo di Sant'Antonio del Mesco was a Catholic place of worship located along the wooded path to Punta Mesco. The Hermitage of Sant'Antonio del Mesco was a church with a hermitage located just above Punta Mesco at an elevation of 311 m. It was very important, given its location, as a lookout point for possible dangers coming in from the sea. Unfortunately, not much remains of this splendid building, only the apse, the vault and some perimeter walls, as well as some ruins of the convent. The statue of St. Anthony Abbot that was present in the Hermitage can be seen at the Oratory of Death and Oration in Monterosso. The earliest record of the Hermitage is from 1380, but it appears that the construction is much older, perhaps from the 11th century. An extension was made in the 15th century, still visible, with splendid walls of dressed stone, only to be sadly abandoned two centuries later, in 1610, when the monks were transferred to the monastic complex of the Augustinians in Levanto, where the Youth Hostel now stands. The only work left is the aforementioned 15th-century statue of St. Anthony Abbot. When you go to visit this wonderful place, you can't miss the Semaforo lookout point, just beyond, for a breathtaking view from Portofino to the Cinque Terre!