Testana Among Church Art, Olive Groves and Mountain Trails

Testana combines a hillside setting, sacred art, archaeological traces and paths through olive groves. Testana Chiesa lies halfway up the slope on the left side of the Rio Arbora, a tributary of the Recco. In Testana, the Church of Santa Margherita, the Testana T1 archaeological site, olive groves and paths on Monte Cornua come together.

Church and Art in Testana

The Church of Santa Margherita Vergine e Martire was built in the 17th century on the site of an older chapel on the slopes of Monte Cornua.

The Church of Santa Margherita in Testana houses a wooden high relief depicting the story of the Crucifixion of Christ. The work is attributed to a 16th-century Flemish school of art. The church also contains a painting of the Circumcision of Christ by Giovanni Andrea De Ferrari. The wooden high relief and the painting belong to different artistic media. For those interested in culture, the main points of interest are the wooden high relief, the painting by Giovanni Andrea De Ferrari and the Retablo di Testana.

The Retablo di Testana is dated to the period between 1510 and 1515. The term retablo refers to an altarpiece. With its scenes of the Passion, it is considered emblematic of the presence of northern European wooden artworks in the Ligurian area. It is therefore older than the construction of the Church of Santa Margherita.

Archaeological Traces and Landscape

The Testana T1 archaeological site is interpreted as a rural settlement from Late Antiquity. In 1972, fragments were recovered from three sites located close to one another between the Church of Testana and Monte San Pietro. Those interested in archaeology will find Testana T1 to be a specific historical reference point between the Church of Testana and Monte San Pietro. The dating to Late Antiquity places it chronologically before the Retablo di Testana and the construction of the Church of Santa Margherita Vergine e Martire in Testana.

The area around Testana contains olive groves with views of the sea. Olive trees, the hillside setting and sea views shape the landscape around Testana.

Paths for Walks and Mountain Bike Tours

The path from Molino Nuovo to Testana runs along trails between olive trees and dry-stone walls.

Testana is also connected by a mountain bike route. It passes through Testana and reaches the ridge of Monte Cornua via a rideable but very steep mule track. For cyclists, the steepness of the mule track is the decisive planning factor for this section.

Transport and Local Connections

Bus route 872 connects Recco, Testana and Serro. In addition, the Festa di Santa Margherita d’Antiochia in Testana is one of Avegno’s local festivals. Recco and Serro are the two other local destinations served by this route. The festival’s name refers to Santa Margherita d’Antiochia; the church bears the name Santa Margherita Vergine e Martire.

Other Places for Orientation

For further orientation, you can also explore Bargagli, La Costa, Moconesi, Lavagna, Busalla, Statale, Lorsica and Nascio.

For the higher-level travel overview: Genoa.