On Bordighera’s main street, a stone’s throw from the Lungomare Argentina, rises a church unlike any other on the Riviera: two towers flanking the façade, golden mosaics and a slender bell tower. This is the Church of the Immaculate Conception, which everyone in town simply calls Terrasanta, designed by Charles Garnier, architect of the Paris Opéra and the Monte-Carlo Casino.
It is the church of the “new” Bordighera, the town that grew up by the sea in the 19th century at the foot of the old village: a fifteen-minute stop between walks, to discover how the Belle Époque left its mark on religious architecture too.
A church for Bordighera by the sea
In the second half of the 19th century Bordighera was growing fast. Next to the village of Bordighera Alta, the seaside town of the Marina was emerging, with hotels, villas and streets frequented by English travellers. Father Giacomo Viale, a Franciscan friar and for almost fifty years parish priest of Bordighera, wanted to give this new town a church of its own.
The first design, entrusted to the Sanremo architect Alessandro Cantù, was halted when Father Viale had to leave the parish. On his return, the priest turned to Charles Garnier, who had built his own residence, Villa Garnier, in Bordighera. The land was donated in 1882 by Francesco Moreno, owner of one of the town’s most famous gardens, and Garnier’s first drawing is dated 30 June 1882.
From the first stone to the bell tower
The foundation stone was blessed in 1883. On 14 February 1886 the church, still unfinished, was consecrated and dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. Work continued for years: the bell tower was finished in 1899 and the interior decoration in 1902. Charles Garnier died in 1898 without seeing the work completed; his family helped to finish it. Later work, in 1906 and 1963, partly altered the original design.
Why it is called Terrasanta
The name recalls the first missionary friars who celebrated Mass in the church, on their return from Palestine. The link with the Holy Land is in the architecture too: according to tradition, Garnier felt that Bordighera’s landscape, with its palms, resembled Palestine more than Italy, and he drew inspiration from the churches of the mendicant orders there.
What to see in the church of Terrasanta
The mosaic façade
The façade is the most recognisable part: two side towers frame it and a portico rests on a base of La Turbie stone. Above the entrance, mosaic decorations accompany a Latin inscription. The bell tower echoes the turrets of the villas Garnier designed along the coast.
The single-nave interior
Inside, the church has a single large nave, marked out by pillars and arches, with wide side windows that fill it with light. The decorations were designed by the Parisian stage designer Marcel Jambon, while the dome above the altar was painted by the Parisian painter Poinsot.
The works of art
The paintings in the church include the Deposition by the Belgian painter Jules Pierre van Biesbroeck, from Ghent, and the Death of St Joseph by Giuseppe Balbo.
Father Giacomo Viale, “u fratin”
Born in Airole in 1830 and died in Bordighera in 1912, Father Giacomo Viale was the town’s parish priest for about fifty years. Besides the church of Terrasanta he founded charitable works, including an orphanage and a home for the elderly poor. In 2016 Pope Francis declared him Venerable. In Bordighera many still remember him by his dialect nickname, “u fratin”, the little friar.
Garnier in Bordighera: an itinerary
The church of Terrasanta is one of the stops for discovering Charles Garnier’s legacy in the town. A few minutes’ walk away are Palazzo Garnier, now the town hall, Villa Garnier, his residence overlooking the sea, and Villa Etelinda, also designed by the French architect.
Tips for your visit
- How long you need: fifteen minutes is enough for the façade and the interior; longer if you stop to look at the paintings.
- When to go: the church is an active place of worship: visit outside Mass times, dressed respectfully.
- Combine it with: a walk along the Lungomare Argentina, the Via Romana with its Belle Époque villas and, if you love 19th-century religious architecture, the former Anglican Church and the Waldensian Church.
Frequently asked questions
Who designed the church of Terrasanta in Bordighera?
The French architect Charles Garnier, designer of the Paris Opéra and the Monte-Carlo Casino. His first drawing for the church dates from 30 June 1882; the interior decoration is by Marcel Jambon.
Why is it called the church of Terrasanta?
In memory of the first missionary friars who celebrated Mass there on their return from Palestine. Its official name is the Church of the Immaculate Conception.
When was it built?
Work began in 1883 and the church was consecrated on 14 February 1886. The bell tower was completed in 1899 and the interior decoration in 1902.
Where is it?
In Via Vittorio Emanuele, the main street in the centre of Bordighera, a few steps from the Lungomare Argentina and the shopping streets.
Can you visit it?
Yes, admission is free. It is a parish church served by Franciscan friars: visit it outside service times, quietly and respectfully.
