Eremo del Deserto, Catholic hermitage in Varazze, Italy

The Eremo del Deserto is a hermitage in the woods above Varazze, founded between 1614 and 1618 and dedicated to San Giuseppe. A two-storey building on the west side of a rectangular cloister forms the entrance and facade; ten monk cells with gardens line the north and south sides, and the church stands on the east.

The hermitage was founded between 1614 and 1618 and dedicated to Saint Joseph. The Discalced Carmelites took charge of the site in 1921, returning after an absence, and still run it today. Cardinal Anastasio Alberto Ballestrero is buried in the church crypt.

The site draws visitors seeking spiritual moments in a setting dedicated to prayer and contemplation. People come here to experience the religious life that has continued in this place for generations.

The hermitage stands isolated in the woods above Varazze, not in the town center; it is reached by a connecting road from Varazze or the Cogoletese hamlet of Sciarborasca. The grounds are enclosed by a wall about 3 meters high and several kilometers long. The botanical path, created in 1992 by the former Comunità Montana del Giovo and managed by the Beigua Park Authority, lies inside this walled area.

The wall enclosing the hermitage runs for several kilometres and stands about three metres high. Inside it, beyond the main buildings, lie small isolated hermitages used by the monks or by anyone wanting a few days of greater seclusion.