Diano Arentino: Saint Antonino and the Stations of the Cross

The story of the church of Sant'Antonino in Diano Arentino constitutes not only an admirable example of land-art, but also a gesture of love for the area of the Borghi di Ponente on the part of tourists and residents. Immersed in a luxuriance of woods and olive groves, where you can see nothing but greenery, sky and sea, the church was a religious centre of great importance until the boom years, and even today people in the village tell of the years when, for the feast of the patron saint at the beginning of September, the faithful flocked here, even from outside the region, for three days of singing, dancing and good food. With the decline of the agricultural civilisation and the growth of the industrial one, the olive groves surrounding Sant'Antonino first, and then the church itself, went through years of neglect and abandonment, culminating in a fire that seriously damaged the interior of the structure. It was a German couple living in Diano Arentino, during their customary morning jogging session, who revived the fortunes of the place: in addition to putting an important donation on the table, they managed to involve a large group of volunteers, tourists and residents in a project that saw the collective commitment to restoring the ancient chapel. A Stations of the Cross was created along the path to the church, consisting of 15 stations designed and installed in votive chapels by contemporary artists. Each of these stations was purchased by a family from Diano Arentino, who became patrons of this fascinating architectural recovery project. The churchyard is also often used for yoga sessions and concert venues on warm summer evenings, caressed by the west wind. For accommodation, you can stay at the Valcrosa agritourism, owned by the Maria Donata Bianchi wine cellar, an award-winning winery with top-quality wine tastings, flats with views of the vineyards and the sea, and swimming pools with whirlpools. A tasteful address is the Candidollo Restaurant, which has a terrace and a view of the Danish gulf.