ANP Travel

Genoa, the capital city near Portofino Italy one of th eight wonder of the world is a town full of life and activity that reflect the character of her inhabitants. Writers and politicians who saw her before the historical events of the XVII century and her altered economical circumstances of the XVIII, called her Superba (haughty).

Heine disparaged her XIX century aspect whereas her ancient splendour, that was blossoming again in her new middle class and merchant princes during the XIX century was enthusiastically praised by De Musset, Flaubert and Michelet, Nietzsche and Wagner.

Special guest that we have reported their presence also in Portofino Italy.

Genoa is a lovely town that the tourist must conquer.

A restless town continually changing. She has flattened her hills to widen her squares, filled in valleys to lay down new roads, built new edifices near old ones with such on innate sense of appropriateness that at first sight the change in topography are not striking.

Wherever building regulations have not been too drastic and regulations better applicable to a town situated in a plain have not been too rigidly enforced, the individual aspiration for something sudden to attain a panoramic flight is revealed in different and picturesque ways, like so many cinema exposures.

Grand views of the town and harbour from points of vantage in public gardens and squares up on the hills, mountain views with pine woods, chains of mountains crested with fortifications belonging to the days of the old Republic, rows of cypresses among olive groves on the hills and large gardens scattered about the town, or on roofs of mansions that introduce a note of green in the gray and silver of the slate with which they are covered.

Palaces everywhere, in streets wide or narrow; palaces seemingly of the XVII century with peeping from under plastering applied in later years, the ashlar of the XIII and XIV centuries to which they properly belong.

XV century courts from which depart delightful little porches with ceilings vaulted and groined and imposing marble staircases sometimes mounting within the building, at others winding round a court, or even completely open.

The mystery of frescoed decorations awakens memories of a past life; little churches with their doors opening on small solitary squares appeal silently to passers by.

Sensation follows sensation, overtaking and mingling with impressions when, on leaving the main arteries one penetrates into the ancient part of the town where every stone speaks of history and reveals the soul of Genoa.

The ancient town never had a proper centre in the accepted sense of the ward, other than the harbour towards which all the narrow streets converged.

On the other hand each great family, such as the Doria, Spinola, Cattaneo, Fieschi etc. had its own centre, and small squares in which their palaces stood, still bear their names and perpetuate them toponymically.

The Cathedral, Palazzo Ducale (Doge s Palace), Palazzo del Banco di S. Giorgio were never centres properly speaking, and indeed Genoa never had a vital urbanistic centre till Piazza De Ferrari was laid out in the XIX century.

The ancient lines of walls were pulled down and only the two gates, Porta Soprano and Porta dei Vacca remained of those erected in 1155, besides some topographical names, and Ponte Monumentale built on the site of Porta dell Arco (XVI century) and the end of Via XX Settembre where the XVII century Porta Pila was demolished but has been rebuilt on the hill of Montesano; all obstacles thus removed, the modern part of the town has merged with the ancient one, and they form an undistinguishable whole that conceals completely the passing of centuries.