Church of San Martino di Erli

The Church of San Martino di Erli, dating from the eleventh century, contains a remarkable cycle of fifteenth-century frescoes covering the interior walls. The paintings depict scenes from the life of the Virgin and various saints in a late Gothic style that retains considerable freshness despite their age. This is one of the more rewarding medieval art destinations in the Ligurian hinterland, particularly for visitors who reach it outside the main tourist season.

The church is on the edge of the village. Opening hours are limited and it may be necessary to ask locally for the key. The building is small and the frescoes crowd the walls in a way that gives a vivid impression of how medieval devotional art was intended to function.

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A story
The frescoes in San Martino di Erli were painted in the fifteenth century — most likely by a travelling workshop serving the scattered hill communities of the Ligurian Alps. The paintings survived partly because the church was too remote to be looted or modernised, and partly because the damp mountain climate that could have destroyed them happened to preserve them instead. They are among the best-preserved examples of late Gothic painting in this part of Liguria.