GENOA

A City to Discover


Genoa bridges between old and new, and acts as a threshold between European and Mediterranean worlds. Fascinating and enigmatic, it is a layered city that invites exploration.

piazza de ferrari with school class
A city of old and new, always in relationship with the sea (view of the city from the Spianata di Castelletto)

'Old' City

The centro storico or historic center is, by some accounts, the largest intact and active medieval quarter in Europe. It is a dense labyrinth of narrow streets and alleys called caruggi populated by Italians and non-Italians, residents and migrants, with small shops and restaurants of every sort and some of the finest palaces and most squalid residences within close proximity to one another. It offers multiple, overlapping views of an Italian city that lives simultaneously with its past, its present and its emerging future.

via garibaldi
Via Garibaldi is lined with Renaissance palaces built during Genoa's Golden Age (1500-1600s), now a Unesco World Heritage Site

'Modern' City

The modern urban expansion of Genoa was begun in the 19th century outside the dense medieval quarter with the establishment of Piazza De Ferrari and the monumentalizing of Via XX Settembre to make it the main street of the city. As well as the "old" Palazzo Ducale, around Piazza De Ferrari there are the Teatro Carlo Felice and its companion Galleria Mazzini, the Ligurian Academy of Fine Arts, and the New Stock Exchange, all signs of the changing social structure of the new nation.

piazza de ferrari with school class
Piazza De Ferrari, the center of the modern city of 19th and 20th century transformation

Port & Expo

The port is the reason Genoa exists, and is still vital to its everyday life and economy. Closed to the public until the 'Expo' area was created for public use for the 1992 Columbus celebration, now it is one of the most frequented places in Genoa (from the Aquarium to Eataly) and constitutes an area of its greatest ongoing renewal.
genoa port
Port of Genoa, with container, cruise and ferry ships, and marina for pleasure craft, adjacent to the Expo area with public activities

Ports of Genoa

Genova, Pra’, Savona, Vado Ligure

 

  • 68.1 million     Total Throughput (tons)
  • 2.7 million      Container Traffic (TEUs)
  • 4.5 million      Passengers (pax)
  • 15.3 million     General Cargo (tons)

 

(from: https://www.portsofgenoa.com/en/)

FOUR PORTS, ONE PORT AUTHORITY
Genoa, Pra’, Savona and Vado Ligure, the ports of the Western Ligurian Sea - grouped together under the banner Ports of Genoa - rank as Italy’s pre-eminent port range in terms of total throughput, product diversity and economic output. Since 2017 the ports have been governed by a single Port Authority which is committed to offering the highest standards of service to operators and clients alike, improving efficiency by simplifying administrative procedures and setting out terms and conditions of port redevelopment to enhance port competitiveness.

IN THE HEART OF EUROPE
Strategically located in the northernmost point of the Mediterranean Sea at the heart of Europe, easily accessible overland across fast road and rail connections and by sea across the ultra-large container vessels which can dock in the ports’ natural deepwater, the Ports of Genoa are equipped to consolidate their leadership as the premier Mediterranean gateway to the major consumer centers in Europe. The industrial heartland of Europe sits within a 600-km range of the ports: Switzerland, Bavaria, Baden-Wurttemberg, Austria.

(from: ports of genoa information-pdf)

port
Port of Genoa, with 'Lanterna' and hills beyond

Environs

(all within Genoa's city limits)
genova-nervi seawalk
Genova-Nervi, with small beach clubs along the Passeggiata Anita Garibaldi, a 2 km walk along the sea
boccadasse and coast
Boccadasse, a small fishing village now inside the city of Genoa proper
hills and forts beyond the city
The hills containing the city, with the old city wall and forts along the ridge
parco delle mura - runner
Runner in the Parco delle Mura (park of the city walls and forts) with Genoa and sea beyond...
parco delle mura - runner
...and same runner, heading out on trail towards Forte Diamante

Genoa's Grandi Eventi (Big Events)

Rolli Days

rolli days

71,000 visitors over three days during October 2023

During Genoa's period of enormous economic prosperity as a European banking center during the 16th and 17th century, the major Genoese families commissioned palaces along the 'Strada Nuova' or New Street, now Via Garibaldi, while other important families ordered similar constructions or renovations throughout the city. These palaces were included in the 'Rolli' (Lists) and were available to host visiting nobility and dignitaries, with the finest palaces going to the guests of the highest status.

42 palaces of the original 163 of the 'Palazzi dei Rolli' system were recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006. Twice a year for one weekend the palaces are open to the public during the 'Rolli Days'.

http://www.visitgenoa.it/en/rolli


Festival of Science

festival of science logo

An annual event of 10 days, with 200,000 participants in 2023

A fixed point of reference for science dissemination. A great opportunity to meet for researchers, science enthusiasts, schools and families. One of the major international scientific events. (From Festival of Science website)

In 2023 there were 200,000 overall visitors (60% more than last year), including 30,000 students from fourteen different Italian regions.

http://www.festivalscienza.eu/site/en/home.html


Salone Nautico / International Boat Show

salone nautico 2020

An annual event of 6 days, with 118,000 visitors in 2023

As the largest event on the Mediterranean, the Genoa Boat Show is the world’s number one showcase for the very best the 'Made in Italy' brand has to offer, welcoming every year industry professionals and boating enthusiasts alike to over 200,000 square metres of display area on land and sea.

(from: https://salonenautico.com/en/)


Euroflora

euroflora

An event of 2 weeks, 240,000 visitors in 2022

The 12th edition (2022) is an ode to rarity. Precious botanical species from all over the world meet at Euroflora to celebrate the beauty and importance of nature. Euroflora 2022 confirms, as a location, the extraordinary setting of the Parks and Historical Museums of Nervi, and it is here that the “Rose of Genoa,” symbol of the Ligurian capital, makes its international debut. With more than 240 thousand attendees, Euroflora returns to prominence as the most important European event for the promotion of Italian and foreign floricultural excellence.

(text from 2022 website: https://euroflora.genova.it/en/history/#2022)

https://euroflora.genova.it/en/