Holiday apartment in Coasco: Frescoes, Chapels and Olive Bread

Coasco combines medieval sacred art with a bread tradition passed down through the generations.

San Marco: Oratory, Church and Fresco

The San Marco Oratory in Coasco already existed in 1856. Inside the Church of San Marco are wall paintings by Guido da Ranzo. The oratory and the church both bear the name San Marco; the wall paintings are located inside the church.

The fresco of the Madonna and the Saints has a triptych structure typical of medieval art. The depiction is divided into three sections with openwork Gothic niches. The Madonna is shown alongside Saint Roch and Saint Sebastian. A triptych is a three-part image. The openwork Gothic niches form part of the division into the three sections and connect the composition with a Gothic visual language.

Other Sacred Sites and Their Protection Status

San Mauro di Coasco is a late-medieval chapel whose apse contains a cycle of frescoes. The apse forms the rear end of a sacred space; in San Mauro di Coasco, the fresco cycle is located on this architectural element.

The Cappella di San Marco in Coasco belongs to the immovable cultural heritage assets protected under Italian Legislative Decree 42/2004. Legislative Decree 42/2004 is expressly associated with the protection status of this chapel.

Olive Bread and the Custom on 25 April

On 25 April, the feast of Saint Mark and the patronal feast of Coasco, bread with olives is blessed and distributed in Coasco. The feast of Saint Mark and the patronal feast of Coasco therefore fall on the same 25 April.

This bread tradition has ancient roots in Rogazioni, processions for blessing the fields that were practised in various parts of the Villanova area. The term “Rogazioni” refers to this form of blessing the fields. The roots of the bread tradition thus extend beyond Coasco into various parts of the Villanova area.

After an interruption in the 1970s and 1980s, the custom was revived following the installation of a wrought-iron cross on a hill in the Coasco region. The wrought-iron cross is therefore part of the later history of the custom.

Districts and Geographical Reference Points

Coasco Sottano is identified with a group of ruins in the hills near Bastia. Coasco lies on the provincial road to Pieve di Teco, before the turn-off for Villanova d'Albenga. Coasco Soprano is located near the Church of San Marco. For geographical orientation, the road reference describes a specific sequence: Coasco lies before the turn-off for Villanova d'Albenga, while Coasco Soprano is near San Marco. Coasco Sottano remains associated with the group of ruins in the hills near Bastia.

If you would like to extend your travel plans to include other places, you can also find Testico, Erli, Bormida-Genepro, Borgio Verezzi, Villanova D'albenga, Noli, Bergeggi and Stella.

For the broader travel overview: Savona.