Pers and the Chapel of the Madonna di Guardia

Since the 1920s, people from the small hamlet of Pers in Briezeni have migrated to the city of Genoa. Remaining closely tied to their homeland, they obtained permission in 1930 to build a place of worship in Pers. The construction was carried out by young migrants in Genoa who, devoted to the Sanctuary of "Madonna delle Guardia" (built in Valpolcevera in 1530 by a farmer), chose to dedicate the new church in Pers to the same Madonna and placed her statue on the altar of the newly completed church.
The earthquake of 1976 destroyed the building along with all the homes in Pers, but the statue was saved and kept for a long time in Tarcento, in the church of Stella. By recovering some disused trusses from the former bell tower of the church of Cesariis, the destroyed church was rebuilt between 1999 and 2002: a structure measuring 5 by 5 metres, with a perimeter concrete wall about one meter high, on which the trusses were anchored to support the roof. The restored statue of the Madonna was then brought back here; now, inside, there are two paintings that tell the story of the church and the migrants from the small village.
The old bell was placed in the niche in the upper part of the church. To the left of the few steps leading to the entrance, a second, much smaller bell has been set: visitors are invited to ring it and make a wish.