Liguria: San Fruttuoso and the Christ of the Abyss

The story of the Christ of the Abyss: why and since when he was there.....

He has the nostalgic charm of a wreck, which ended up there following who knows what storm. And instead the bronze statue found in the seabed in front of the Abbey of San Fruttuoso is nothing more than a touching homage. It has become the symbol of Liguria in the world. It is one of the most evocative places that our region preserves, in the mysterious waters of its sea. It has the nostalgic charm of a wreck, which ended up there following who knows what storm. And instead the Christ of the Abyss, the bronze statue found in the seabed in front of the Abbey of San Fruttuoso, is nothing more than a touching homage.

The statue was created by the sculptor Guido Galletti to remember Claudio Gonzatti, a diver who disappeared during a dive in 1947 - the plaque placed on the base is in memory of him. It was created by melting medals, bells and American submarine propellers. It was born from an idea by Duilio Marcante, father of Italian underwater teaching and friend of Gonzatti, and has been there, at 18 meters deep, since 29 August 1954. Since the day it was installed, it has also become a tribute to the memory of all the lives lost at sea. In 2003 the statue was restored to preserve it from corrosion and encrustations and, above all, to reattach the hand detached from an anchor

Today, after almost sixty years, it is located in one of the areas that records the highest number of dives in the Mediterranean. Being about 300 meters from the Abbey beach, it is easily reachable by swimming, kayak or SUP. You just need to pay attention to the large nautical traffic that characterizes San Fruttuoso.

article Genoa today