San Giorgio, Church building in Tellaro, Italy

San Giorgio is a church built on a cliff edge overlooking the Ligurian Sea in Tellaro, constructed with stone walls and a bell tower oriented toward the water. The building sits directly at the village edge with a direct view of the coast below.

The present church was built in the 16th century on the remains of a 14th-century Genoese fortification on the Treggiano spur. It was consecrated on 1 May 1584 by the apostolic visitor Angelo Peruzzi, after which one of the fortress towers was adapted as a bell tower. In 1618 the church was enlarged with a sacristy, nave arcades and vaults. In the 13th century the site was dependent on the parish church of Ameglia.

The name San Giorgio refers to Saint George, protector against dangers, reflecting the maritime protection role this place held for the community. Residents today still gather here for religious services and connect it to Tellaro's identity as a seafaring village.

To reach the church, follow narrow lanes uphill from the village square toward the cliff edge. Access is on foot, but note that the stairs and pathways are steep and narrow in places.

A local legend holds that a giant octopus rang the bells of San Giorgio, waking Tellaro's inhabitants and letting them repel a sudden night raid by Saracen pirates. An inscription near the church recalls the episode. The bells hang in a tower adapted from one of the towers of the Genoese fortification after the church's consecration on 1 May 1584.