Christ of the Abyss

In the shallow water off San Fruttuoso, a bronze statue of Christ with arms raised stands on the seabed in 17 metres of clear water. The Christ of the Abyss is one of the most famous underwater statues in the world and a place of pilgrimage for divers from across Europe.

You can dive the statue with the Portofino Diving Centre or several other operators in Camogli and Santa Margherita. Snorkellers in calm weather can see the outline from the surface; in summer special glass-bottomed boats from Camogli pass over it.

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The bronze statue was placed on the seabed in 1954 by Italian diver Duilio Marcante in memory of Dario Gonzatti, the first Italian to use SCUBA gear, who died here in 1947. It became the prototype for similar underwater Christs in Florida and Grenada. Three copies of the original mould exist; the one off San Fruttuoso is the original, sitting in 17 metres of water with arms raised toward the surface.

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