Top of the World
Crossing the paths of the Duchessa di Galliera park in Voltri, lined with majestic centuries-old trees and accompanied by the rustling of the foliage moved by the wind, the singing of birds and, in summer, the chirping of cicadas, one reaches the top of the hill, where the shrine of Our Lady of Grace stands. According to one legend, the foundation of this temple dates back to the time of the preaching of Nazarius and Celsus in Liguria, that is, to the first century AD, but it seems more likely that the original construction dates back to 343, as indicated by a plaque found nearby. The church, initially dedicated to St. Nicholas and next to which stood a hospice for pilgrims, was later joined by a convent entrusted to the Capuchin fathers. In 1864, the Duchess of Galliera acquired the entire complex, and the church was used as her family's Pantheon. The temple was later restored in the 19th century in the Pisan Romanesque style, as it was originally intended to appear.According to tradition, during the War of the Austrian Succession, after a young man called "Balilla" had started a bloody uprising against the Austrian invaders in Genoa's Portoria district in 1746, the following year the Madonna of this shrine appeared to enemy soldiers camped nearby, dressed in turquoise and holding a sword, forcing them to flee in disorder. The miraculous apparition is commemorated by a rose window in the church that depicts Our Lady holding the baby Jesus, below which is the inscription, "With her apparition Mary crowned the work begun in Portoria."
