Genoa was the capital ofone of the most powerful maritime republics for over seven centuries, from the 11th century to 1797.[7] Particularly from the 12th century to the 15th century, the city played a leading role in the history of commerce and trade in Europe, becoming one of the largest naval powers of the continent and considered among the wealthiest cities in the world.[8][9] It was also nicknamedla Superba ("the proud one") byPetrarch due to its glories on the seas and impressive landmarks.[10] The city has hosted massive shipyards and steelworks since the 19th century, and its solid financial sector dates back to the Middle Ages. TheBank of Saint George, founded in 1407, is the oldest known state deposit bank in the world and has played an important role in the city's prosperity since the middle of the 15th century.[11][12]
The city's modern name may derive from theLatin wordgenu ([ˈɡe.nuː]; pluralgenua[ˈɡe.nu.aː]), meaning "knee". Some alternative origins for it are: thetheonym ofJanus, for Genoa, like he, has two faces: one looking at the sea and another turned to the mountains; or, the Latin wordianua ([ˈi̯aː.nu.a]), also related to the name of the god Janus, and meaning "door" or "passage". Besides those, the name may refer to the city's geographical position at the centre of the Ligurian coastal arch. The Latin nameoppidum Genua ([ˈop.pi.dumˈɡe.nu.a]; "Genoa town") is recorded byPliny the Elder (Nat. Hist. 3.48), as part of theAugusteanRegio IX Liguria.[19]
It could also have anEtruscan origin in the wordKainua, which meant "New City", based on an inscription on a pottery sherd readingKainua, suggesting that the Latin name may be an alteration of an older Etruscan name with an original meaning of "new town".[20]
The city's area has been inhabited since the fifth or fourth millennium BC, making it one of theoldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.[21] In the fifth century BC the first town, oroppidum, was founded probably by theancient Ligures (which gave the name to the modern region ofLiguria) at the top of the hill today called Castello (Castle), which is now inside the medieval old town.[22][23] In this period the Genoese town, inhabited by the "Genuati" (a group of Ligure peoples), was considered "the emporium of the Ligurians", given its strong commercial character.[24]
The "Genoese oppidum" had an alliance withRome through afoedus aequum (equal pact) in the course of theSecond Punic War. TheCarthaginians accordingly destroyed it in 209 BC. The town was rebuilt and, after theCarthaginian Wars ended in 146 BC, it received municipal rights. The originalcastrum then expanded towards the current areas of Santa Maria di Castello and the San Lorenzo promontory. Trade goods included skins, timber, and honey. Goods were moved to and from Genoa's hinterland, including major cities likeTortona andPiacenza. An amphitheater was also found there among other archaeological remains from the Roman period.[25]
Genoa started expanding during theFirst Crusade. At the time the city had a population of about 10,000. Twelvegalleys, one ship and 1,200 soldiers from Genoa joined the crusade. The Genoese troops, led by noblemen de Insula and Avvocato, set sail in July 1097.[28] The Genoese fleet transported and provided naval support to the crusaders, mainly during thesiege of Antioch in 1098, when the Genoese fleet blockaded the city while the troops provided support during the siege.[28] In thesiege of Jerusalem in 1099Genoese crossbowmen led byGuglielmo Embriaco acted as support units against the defenders of the city.
The Republic's role as a maritime power in the Mediterranean region secured many favorable commercial treaties for Genoese merchants. They came to control a large portion of the trade of theByzantine Empire,Tripoli (Libya), thePrincipality of Antioch,Cilician Armenia, and Egypt.[28] Although Genoa maintained free-trading rights in Egypt and Syria, it lost some of its territorial possessions after Saladin's campaigns in those areas in the late 12th century.[29][30]
The commercial and cultural rivalry of Genoa and Venice was played out through the thirteenth century. Thanks to the major role played by theRepublic of Venice in theFourth Crusade, Venetian trading rights were enforced in the eastern Mediterranean and Venice was able to gain control of a large portion of maritime commerce in the region.[29]
To regain control of local commerce, the Republic of Genoa allied withMichael VIII Palaiologos, emperor ofNicaea, who wanted to restore the Byzantine Empire by recapturingConstantinople. In March 1261 the treaty of the alliance was signed inNymphaeum.[29] On 25 July 1261, Nicaean troops underAlexios Strategopoulos recaptured Constantinople.[29] As a result, the balance of favour tipped toward Genoa, which was granted free trade rights in the Nicene Empire.[29] The islands ofChios andLesbos became commercial stations of Genoa as well as the city ofSmyrna (Izmir). In the same century the Republic conquered many settlements inCrimea, known asGazaria, where the Genoese colony ofCaffa was established. The alliance with the restored Byzantine Empire increased the wealth and power of Genoa, and simultaneously decreased Venetian and Pisan commerce. The Byzantine Empire had granted the majority of free trading rights to Genoa.[31]
Around the 14th century, Genoa was also credited with the invention of bluejeans. Genoa's jean fabric was afustian textile of "medium quality and of reasonable cost", very similar to cottoncorduroy for which Genoa was famous, and was "used for work clothes in general". TheGenoese navy equipped its sailors with jeans, as they needed a fabric which could be worn wet or dry.[32][33]
During theAragonese–Genoese War,Genoa was besieged and sacked by Guillem de Cervelló. As a result of the Genoese support to theAragonese rule inSicily, Genoa was granted free trading and export rights in the Kingdom. Genoese bankers also profited from loans to the new nobility of Sicily. Corsica was formally annexed in 1347.[34]
Thereafter, Genoa became something of an associate of theSpanish Empire, with Genoese bankers, in particular, financing many of the Spanish crown's foreign endeavors from theircounting houses inSeville.Fernand Braudel has even called the period 1557 to 1627 the "age of the Genoese", "of a rule that was so discreet and sophisticated that historians for a long time failed to notice it" (Braudel 1984 p. 157). The Genoese bankers provided the unwieldyHabsburg system with fluid credit and a dependably regular income. In return the less dependable shipments of American silver were rapidly transferred from Seville to Genoa, to provide capital for further ventures. Genoa's trade, however, remained closely dependent on control of Mediterranean sealanes, and the loss ofChios to theOttoman Empire (1566), struck a severe blow.[36] To help cope,Panama in the Americas was given as concession from the Spanish Empire to Genoa.[37] The Genoese there encountered coconuts from the Philippines which drifted or were planted there by Malay seafarers before Spain came.[38] The Spanish governor of Panama, DonSebastian Hurtado de Corcuera sailed west from the Americas and used Peruvians, and Genoese from Panama in his conquest of Muslim areas of the Philippines which he subjugated to the Christian Presidio ofZamboanga.[39] Curiously, Zamboanga's Chavacano Creole language, has Italian vocabulary and cognates.[40]
From the 17th century, the Genoese Republic started a period of slow decline, In May 1625 a French-Savoian army briefly laid siege to Genoa. Though it was eventuallylifted with the aid of the Spanish, the French would laterbombard the city in May 1684 for its support of Spain during theWar of the Reunions.[41] In-between, aplague killed as many as half of the inhabitants of Genoa in 1656–57.[42]
In 1729, the Republic of Genoa had to cope with the beginning of the Corsican revolution for their independence. First led byLuiggi Giafferi and Giacinto Paoli, this conflict culminated after 26 years of struggle, costly in economic and military terms for the Republic of Genoa, in a self proclaimedCorsican Republic in 1755 under the leadership ofPasquale Paoli, son of Giacinto Paoli.
The Republic of Genoa continued its slow decline well into the 18th century, losing its lastMediterranean colony, the island fortress ofTabarka, to theBey of Tunis in 1742.[43]
TheConvention of Turin of 1742, in which Austria allied with theKingdom of Sardinia, caused some consternation in the Republic. Consequently, the Republic of Genoa signed a secret treaty with the Bourbon allies ofKingdom of France,Spanish Empire andKingdom of Naples. On 26 June 1745, the Republic of Genoa declared war on the Kingdom of Sardinia. This decision would prove disastrous for Genoa, which later surrendered to the Austrians in September 1746 and was briefly occupied before a revolt liberated the city two months later.[44]
The Republic of Genoa, in a weak state and not capable of suppressing the Corsican struggle for independence, was forced to cedeCorsica toFrance in the 1768Treaty of Versailles. Only a year later,Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Corsica.
In 1780, the Confetteria Romanengo was founded in Genoa.[45]
The direct intervention ofNapoleon (during theCampaigns of 1796) and his representatives in Genoa was the final act that led to the fall of the Republic in early June, who overthrew the old elites which had ruled the state for all of its history, giving birth to theLigurian Republic on 14 June 1797, under the watchful care of Napoleonic France.
After Bonaparte's seizure of power in France, a more conservative constitution was enacted, but the Ligurian Republic's life was short—in 1805 it was annexed by France, becoming thedépartements ofApennins,Gênes, andMontenotte.[46]
Following the fall of Napoleon, Genoa regained ephemeral independence, with the name of theRepubblica genovese, which lasted less than a year. However, theCongress of Vienna established the annexation of the whole territories of the former Genoese Republic to theKingdom of Sardinia, governed by theHouse of Savoy, contravening the principle of restoring the legitimate governments and monarchies of the old Republic.[47]
The27th G8 summit, that took place in July 2001, was hosted in the city of Genoa; however, it was overshadowed by violent protests (Anti-globalisation movement), with one protester killed.[52] In 2003, theIstituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) was established. In 2004, theEuropean Union designated Genoa as theEuropean Capital of Culture for that year, along with the French city ofLille. In 2015, work began to secure the Genoa area, hit by the floods of 2010, 2011 and 2014, with the reconstruction and expansion of the coverage of theBisagno stream.[53] Furthermore, work began for the completion of the underground stream channel of the Ferreggiano river, which flooded several times in various floods, including the most tragic one in 1970.[54] In 2017, the architectRenzo Piano donated the design of the Levante Waterfront[55][56] to the Municipality of Genoa; this project involves a radical transformation of theFiera di Genova, with the creation of a new dock and an urban park, the continuation ofCorso Italia towards Porta Siberia and the construction of residential structures. In 2018, the first planning and study works began for the realization of the Waterfront of Levante project.[57] From 21 April to 6 May 2018,Euroflora 2018 took place, an exhibition of flowers and ornamental plants for the first time in the Parchi di Nervi venue, rather than in the historic venue of theFiera di Genova. On 14 August 2018 thePonte Morandi viaduct bridge for motor vehicles collapsed during a torrential downpour, leading to 43 deaths.[58] The remains of thePonte Morandi viaduct bridge were demolished in August 2019. The replacement bridge, theGenoa-Saint George Bridge, was inaugurated in August 2020 duringCOVID-19 pandemic. The tragedy of the collapse of theMorandi Bridge and its rapid reconstruction with a new viaduct designed by architect Renzo Piano, which occurred during theCOVID-19 pandemic, facilitated by a redefinition of the implementing rules of public procurement, which has been defined as the Genoa model,[59][60] they will then give further impetus to the construction of the Levante Waterfront, and other important works for the city.Starting from 2021, the MayorMarco Bucci and thePresident of LiguriaGiovanni Toti will launch a new plan for the modernization and redevelopment of the entire city of Genoa, which has as its fulcrum Renzo Piano's Levante Waterfront project.[61]From 23 April 2022 to 8 May 2022,Euroflora 2022 took place for the second time at the Nervi Parks.[62] In 2023 Genoa becomes the finish ofThe Ocean Race.[63] In 2024 Genoa becomes the 2024 European Capital of Sport.[64][65] On March 7, 2024, MayorMarco Bucci presented the vision of Genoa 2030, a development and urban renewal plan for Genoa to be completed in 2030.[66][67][68]
The patron saint of Genoa was SaintLawrence until at least 958, but the Genoese transferred their allegiance toSaint George (and SaintJohn the Baptist) at some point during the 11th or 12th century, most likely with the rising popularity of themilitary saint during theCrusades. Genoa also had a banner displaying a cross since at latest 1218, possibly as early as 1113.[69] But the cross banner was not associated with the saint; indeed, the saint had his own flag, thevexillum beati Georgii (first mentioned 1198), a red flag showing George and the dragon. A depiction of this flag is shown in the Genoese annals under the year 1227. The Genoese flag with the red cross was used alongside this "Saint George's flag", from at least 1218, known as theinsignia cruxata comunis Janue ("cross ensign of the commune of Genoa").
The saint's flag was the city's main war flag, but the cross flag was used alongside it in the 1240s.[70]
TheSaint George's flag (i.e. the flag depicting the saint) remained the main flag of Genoa at least until the 1280s. The flag now known as the "St. George's Cross" seems to have replaced it as Genoa's main flag at some point during the 14th century. TheBook of Knowledge of All Kingdoms (c. 1385) shows it, inscribed with the wordiustiçia, and described as:
And the lord of this place has as his ensign a white pennant with a red cross. At the top it is inscribed with 'justice', in this manner.[71]
There was also a historiographical tradition claiming[72] that theflag of England was derived from the Genoese flag, which derives from theKnights Templar's red cross, during theThird Crusade in 1190; however, it cannot be substantiated as historical.[73]
The city of Genoa covers an area of 243 square kilometres (94 sq mi) between theLigurian Sea and theApennine Mountains. The city stretches along the coast for about 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the neighbourhood ofVoltri to Nervi, and for 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the coast to the north along the valleysPolcevera andBisagno. The territory of Genoa is popularly divided into 5 main zones: the centre, the west, the east, thePolcevera and the Bisagno Valley. Although much of the city centre is located at a low elevation, the territory surrounding it is mountainous with undeveloped land usually being in steep terrain.
Genoa has aMediterranean climate (Csa) in theKöppen climate classification, with plentiful precipitation due to its location on acommon storm track. Due to its position between the sea and mountains over 1000 meters high, each neighborhood of Genoa has specific climatic characteristics.
The average yearly temperature is around 20 °C (68 °F) during the day and 14 °C (57 °F) at night. In the coldest months, the average temperature is 12 °C (54 °F) during the day and 6 °C (43 °F) at night. In the warmest months – July and August – the average temperature is 28 °C (82 °F) during the day and 22 °C (72 °F) at night. The daily temperature range is limited, with an average range of about 6 °C (11 °F) between high and low temperatures. Genoa also sees significant moderation from the sea, in stark contrast to areas behind the Ligurian mountains such asParma, where summers are hotter and winters are quite cold.
Annually, the average 2.9 of nights recorded temperatures of ≤0 °C (32 °F) (mainly in January). The coldest temperature ever recorded was −8 °C (18 °F) in February 2012; the highest temperature ever recorded during the day is 38.5 °C (101 °F) in August 2015. Average annual number of days with temperatures of ≥30 °C (86 °F) is about 8, four days in July and August.[74]
Average annual temperature of the sea is 17.5 °C (64 °F), from 13 °C (55 °F) in the period January–March to 25 °C (77 °F) in August. In the period from June to October, the average sea temperature exceeds 19 °C (66 °F).[75]
Genoa is also a windy city, especially during winter whennorthern winds often bring cool air from thePo Valley (usually accompanied by lower temperatures, high pressure and clear skies). Another typical wind blows fromsoutheast, mostly as a consequence of Atlantic disturbances and storms, bringing humid and warmer air from the sea. Snowfall is sporadic, but does occur almost every year, albeit big amounts in the city centre are rare.[76][77] Genoa often receives heavy rainfall in autumn from strong convection. Even so, the overall number of precipitation days is quite modest. There are on average 11.57 days annually with thunder, which is more common from May to October than other times of the year.[78]
Annual averagerelative humidity is 68%, ranging from 63% in February to 73% in May.[74]
Sunshine hours total above 2,200 per year, from an average 4 hours of sunshine duration per day in winter to average 9 hours in summer.
Climate data for Genoa (1991–2020 normals), 2 m asl, sunshine 1971–2000, extremes since 1955
Nighttime view of the port of Genoa, which has brought trade, commerce and wealth to the city for centuries, greatly contributing to its cultural and historical heritage
Genoa'shistoric centre is articulated in a maze of squares and narrowcaruggi (typical Genoese alleys). It joins amedieval dimension with following 16th century andBaroque interventions (the ancient Via Aurea, nowVia Garibaldi).
NearVia Garibaldi, through the public elevator Castelletto Levante, one can reach one of the most scenic places in the city,Belvedere Castelletto. The centre of Genoa is connected to its upper part by ancient paths caught between tall palaces, calledcreuze. Walking along these small paths one can reach magnificent places like the Santuario di Nostra Signora di Loreto. Very beautiful is the upper ring road so-called Circonvallazione a Monte that includes Corso Firenze, Corso Paganini, Corso Magenta, Via Solferino, and Corso Armellini.
San Lorenzo cathedral has a splendid portal and the dome designed byGaleazzo Alessi. Inside is found the treasure of the Cathedral where among other objects there is also what is said to be theHoly Chalice.
The symbols of the city are theLanterna (the lighthouse) (117 metres (384 feet) high), old and standing lighthouse visible in the distance from the sea (beyond 30 kilometres (19 miles)), and the monumental fountain ofPiazza De Ferrari, recently restored, out-and-out core of the city's life. NearPiazza De Ferrari andTeatro Carlo Felice is the Mazzini Gallery, a typical nineteenth-century structure with many elegant shops and coffee bars.
Another tourist destination is the ancient seaside district ofBoccadasse (which means "the mouth of the donkey"), with its multicolour boats, set as a seal toCorso Italia, the promenade which runs along the Lido d'Albaro, and known for its ice-creams. After Boccadasse you can continue along the sea up toSturla.
Medieval gates of Genoa are a rare survivor of the city's oldest buildings.Royal Palace of Genoa, 16th century
The new Genoa based its rebirth upon the restoration of the green areas of the immediate inland parts, among them theParco naturale regionale del Beigua, and upon the construction of facilities such as theAquarium of Genoa in the Old Harbour – the biggest in Italy and one of the major in Europe – and itsMarina (the tourist small port which holds hundreds of pleasure boats). All of these are inside the restored Expo Area, arranged in occasion of the Columbian Celebrations of 1992.
Near the city areCamogli andSan Fruttuoso abbey accessible by a daily ferry from the Old Harbour (Porto Antico) of Genoa. In the seabed in front of the San Fruttuoso abbey there is theChrist of the Abyss. From the Old Harbour one can reach by boat other famous seaside places around Genoa such asPortofino or a little more distant,Lerici and theCinque Terre.
The regained pride gave back to the city the consciousness of being capable of looking to the future without forgetting its past. The resumption of several flourishing hand-crafting activities, far-back absent from thecaruggi of the old town, is a direct evidence of it. The restoration of many of Genoa's churches and palaces in the 1980s and the 1990s contributed to the city's rebirth. A notable example theRenaissance,Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, sitting on the top of the hill of Carignano and visible from almost every part of the city. The total restoration ofDoge's Palace and of the Old Harbour, and the rebuilding ofTeatro Carlo Felice, destroyed by bombing in theSecond World War, were two more points of strength for the realisation of a new Genoa.
From the 1960s onward, Genoa could not avoid a significant urban renewal, which, as in many other major cities, involved building large public housing complexes. The quality, utility, and functionality of these developments have been, and remain, controversial among the residents who live there.[clarification needed] The most well-known case is that of the so-called "Biscione", a development in the shape of a long snake, situated on the hills of the populous district ofMarassi, and one of the group of houses known as "Le Lavatrici" (the washing machines), in the district of Prà.
Beyond a complete restyling of the area, the ancient port zone nearby the Mandraccio opening, in Porta Siberia, was enriched by Genoese architectRenzo Piano with a large sphere made of metal and glass, installed in the port's waters, not far from theAquarium of Genoa, and unveiled in 2001 in occasion of theG8 Summit held in Genoa. The sphere (called by the citizens "Piano's bubble" or "The Ball"), after hosting an exposition of fens from Genoa's Botanical Gardens, currently houses the reconstruction of a tropical environment, with several plants, little animals and butterflies.Piano also designed the subway stations and, in the hills area, the construction – in collaboration withUNESCO – of Punta Nave, base of theRenzo Piano Building Workshop.
Nearby the Old Harbour is the so-called "Matitone", a skyscraper in shape of a pencil, that lays side by side with the group of the WTC towers, core of the San Benigno development, today base of part of the Municipality's administration and of several companies.
Another well known Genoese church is the shrine ofSaint Francis of Paola, notable for the outer courtyard overlooking the port and the memorial to all those who died at sea. This church is of artistic mention in that the tile depictions of theVia Crucis Stations along the brick path to the church.
The main features of central Genoa include thePiazza De Ferrari, around which are theOpera and thePalace of the Doges. Nearby, just outside the medieval city walls, is locatedChristopher Columbus House whereChristopher Columbus is said to have lived as a child, although the current building is an 18th-century reconstruction of the original which was destroyed by the French naval bombing of 1684.
Strada Nuova (now Via Garibaldi), in the old city, alongsideVia Cairoli andvia Balbi, was inscribed on theWorld Heritage List in 2006. This district was designed in the mid-16th century to accommodate Mannerist palaces built by the city's most eminent families.
The Old Harbour ("Porto Antico" in Italian) is the ancient part of the port of Genoa. The harbour gave access to outside communities creating a good geographical situation for the city.[46] The city is spread out geographically along a section of the Liguria coast, which makes trading by ship possible. Before the development of car, train, and airplane travel, the main outside access for the city was the sea, as the surrounding mountains made trade north by land more difficult than coastal trade. Trade routes have always connected Genoa on an international scale, with increasingly farther reach starting from trade along Europe's coastline before the medieval period to today's connection across continents.[87] In its heyday theGenoese Navy was a prominent power in the Mediterranean.
As the Genoa harbour was so important to the merchants for their own economic success, other nearby harbours and ports were seen as competition for a landing point for foreign traders. In the 16th century, the Genovese worked to destroy the local shipping competition, the Savona harbour.[46] Taking matters into their own hands, the Genoa merchants and the politically powerful in Genoa attacked the harbour of Savona with stones.[46] This action was taken to preserve the economic stability and wealth of the city during the rise in prominence of Savona. The Genovese would go as far as to war with other coastal, trading cities such as Venice,[46] to protect the trade industry.
Renzo Piano redeveloped the area for public access, restoring the historical buildings (like the Cotton warehouses) and creating new landmarks like the Aquarium, the Bigo and recently the "Bolla" (the Sphere). The main touristic attractions of this area are the famous Aquarium and the Museum of the Sea (MuMA). In 2007 these attracted almost 1.7 million visitors.[88]
The city of Genoa during its long history at least since the ninth century had been protected by different lines ofdefensive walls. Large portions of these walls remain today, and Genoa has more and longer walls than any other city in Italy. The maincity walls are known as "Ninth century walls", "Barbarossa Walls" (12th century), "Fourteenth century walls", "Sixteenth century walls" and "New Walls" ("Mura Nuove" in Italian). The more imposing walls, built in the first half of the 17th century on the ridge of hills around the city, have a length of almost 20 km (12 mi). Some fortresses stand along the perimeter of the "New Walls" or close them.
Genoa has 82,000 square metres (880,000 square feet) of public parks in the city centre, such as Villetta Di Negro which is right in the heart of the town, overlooking the historical centre. Many bigger green spaces are situated outside the centre: in the east are the Parks ofNervi (96,000 square metres or 1,030,000 square feet) overlooking the sea, in the west the beautiful gardens ofVilla Durazzo Pallavicini and itsGiardino botanico Clelia Durazzo Grimaldi (265,000 square metres or 2,850,000 square feet). The numerousvillas and palaces of the city also have their own gardens, like Palazzo del Principe, Villa Doria,Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Tursi, Palazzo Nicolosio Lomellino,Albertis Castle, Villa Rosazza, Villa Croce, Villa Imperiale Cattaneo, Villa Bombrini, Villa Brignole Sale Duchessa di Galliera, Villa Serra and many more.[89]
TheAquarium of Genoa (inItalian:Acquario di Genova) is the largestaquarium in Italy and among the largest in Europe. Built forGenoa Expo '92, it is an educational, scientific and cultural centre. Its mission is to educate and raise public awareness as regards conservation, management and responsible use of aquatic environments. It welcomes over 1.2 million visitors a year.
Control of the entire environment, including the temperature, filtration and lighting of the tanks was provided by local Automation Supplier Orsi Automazione, acquired in 2001 bySiemens.The Aquarium of Genoa is co-ordinating the AquaRing EU project. It also provides scientific expertise and a great deal of content for AquaRing, including documents, images, academic content and interactive online courses, via its Online Resource Centre.[90]
At the beginning of 2011, there were 608,493 people residing in Genoa, of whom 47% were male and 53% were female. The city is characterised by rapid aging and a long history of demographic decline[94] that has shown a partial slowdown in the last decade. Genoa has the lowest birth rate and is the most aged of any large Italian city. Minors (children ages 18 and younger) totalled only 14.12% of the population compared to pensioners who number 26.67%. This compares with the Italian average of 18.06% (minors) and 19.94% (pensioners). The median age of Genoa's residents is 47, compared to the Italian average of 42. The current birth rate of the city is only 7.49 births per 1,000 inhabitants, compared to the national average of 9.45.
Ligurian agriculture has increased its specialisation pattern in high-quality products (flowers,wine,olive oil) and has thus managed to maintain the gross value-added per worker at a level much higher than the national average (the difference was about 42% in 1999).[96] The value of flower production represents over 75% of the agriculture sector turnover, followed by animal farming (11.2%) and vegetable growing (6.4%).
Steel, once a major industry during the booming 1950s and 1960s, phased out after the late 1980s crisis, as Italy moved away from the heavy industry to pursue more technologically advanced and less polluting productions. So the Ligurian industry has turned towards a widely diversified range of high-quality and high-tech products (food, shipbuilding (inSestri Ponente and in metropolitan area –Sestri Levante), electrical engineering and electronics, petrochemicals, aerospace etc.). Nonetheless, the regions still maintain a flourishing shipbuilding sector (yacht construction and maintenance, cruise-liner building, military shipyards).[96]
In the services sector, the gross value-added per worker in Liguria is 4% above the national average. This is due to the increasing diffusion of modern technologies, particularly in commerce and tourism.A good motorway network (376 km (234 mi) in 2000) makes communications with the border regions relatively easy. The main motorway is located along the coastline, connecting the main ports of Nice (in France), Savona, Genoa and La Spezia. The number of passenger cars per 1000 inhabitants (524 in 2001) is below the national average (584).On average, about 17 million tonnes of cargo are shipped from the main ports of the region and about 57 million tonnes enter the region.[96] ThePort of Genoa, with a trade volume of 58.6 million tonnes,[97] ranks first in Italy,[98] second in terms oftwenty-foot equivalent units after thetransshipment port ofGioia Tauro, with a trade volume of over 2 million TEUs.[99] The main destinations for the cargo-passenger traffic are Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands.
The first organised forms of higher education in Genoa date back to the 13th century when private colleges were entitled to award degrees in medicine, philosophy, Theology, Law, Arts.[100]Today theUniversity of Genoa, founded in the 15th century, is one of the largest in Italy, with 11 faculties, 51 departments and 14 libraries. In 2007–2008, the university had 41,000 students and 6,540 graduates.[101]
Genoa is also home to other Colleges, Academies or Museums:
Clemson University, based inSouth Carolina, United States, has a villa in Genoa where architecture students and students in related fields can attend for a semester or year-long study program.
In 1846 the city hosted the eighth Meeting of Italian Scientists and in 1902Luigi Carnera discovered an asteroid and called it "485 Genua", dedicating it to the Latin name of Genoa.
Several cruise and ferry lines serve the passenger terminals in the old port, with a traffic of 3.2 million passengers in 2007.[106]MSC Cruises chose Genoa as one of its main home ports, in competition with the Genoese companyCosta Cruises, which moved its home port toSavona. The quays of the passenger terminals extend over an area of 250,000 square metres (2,700,000 square feet), with 5 equipped berths for cruise vessels and 13 for ferries, for an annual capacity of 4 million ferry passengers, 1.5 million cars and 250,000 trucks.[107]
The historical maritime station of Ponte dei Mille is today a technologically advanced cruise terminal, with facilities designed after the world's most modern airports, to ensure fast embarking and disembarking of all latest generation ships carrying a thousand passengers. A third cruise terminal is currently under construction in the redesigned area of Ponte Parodi, once a quay used for grain traffic.
TheCosta Concordia cruise ship, owned by Costa Cruises, was docked at the port before being dismantled.[108]
TheAirport of Genoa (IATA:GOA,ICAO:LIMJ) (Italian: Aeroporto di Genova) also named Christopher Columbus Airport (Italian: Aeroporto Cristoforo Colombo) is built on an artificial peninsula, 4 NM (7.4 km; 4.6 mi) west[109] of the city. The airport is currently operated by Aeroporto di Genova S.P.A., which has recently upgraded the airport complex that now connects Genoa with several daily flights to Rome, Naples, Paris, London, Madrid and Munich. In 2008, 1,202,168 passengers travelled through the airport,[110] with an increase of international destinations and charter flights.
The main railway stations areGenoa Brignole in the east andGenoa Principe in the west. Genoa Brignole is close to the business districts and the exhibition centre, while the Principe is close to the port, the university and the historical centre. From these two stations depart the main trains connecting Genoa to France, Turin, Milan and Rome.
Genoa's third most important station isGenoa Sampierdarena, which serves the densely populated neighbourhood of Sampierdarena. 23 other local stations serve the other neighbourhoods on the 30-kilometre-long coast line fromNervi toVoltri and on the northern line throughBolzaneto and the Polcevera Valley.
The municipal administration of Genoa plans to transform these urban railway lines to be part of the rapid transit system, which now consists of theMetropolitana di Genova (Genoa Metro), alight metro connecting Brin to the city centre. The metro line was extended to Brignole Station in December 2012. Trains currently pass through Corvetto station between De Ferrari and Brignole without stopping. A possible further extension towards the eastern densely populated boroughs was planned, but the municipal administration intends to improve the public transport by investing in new tram lines instead of completing the extension of the light metro.[111] The current stations of the metro line are Brin-Certosa, Dinegro, Principe, Darsena, San Giorgio, Sant'Agostino and De Ferrari; the line is 5.3 km (3.3 mi) long.
The city's metro, bus andtrolleybus network is operated byAMT (Azienda Mobilità e Trasporti S.p.A.). The Drin Bus is ademand responsive transport service that connects the hilly, low-density areas of Genoa.[113][114][115]The average time people spend commuting on public transit in Genova, for example to and from work, is 54 minutes on a weekday. 10% of public transit riders ride for more than 2 hours every day. The average time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 12 minutes, while 13% of riders wait over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is 4 km, while 2% travel for over 12 km in a single direction.[116]
In the 16th century along with the flourishing trade between the Republic of Genoa and Flanders also grew the cultural exchanges. The paintersLucas andCornelis de Wael lived in Genoa for a long time, where they played the role of a magnet for many Flemish painters likeJaan Roos,Giacomo Legi,Jan Matsys,Andries van Eertvelt andVincent Malo.
This creative environment also attracted the two most important Flemish painters,Rubens andVan Dyck, who along withBernardo Strozzi.[117] gave life to the Genoese Painting School of the 17th century.
Genoa is also famous for its numerous tapestries which decorated the city's many salons. Whilst the patrician palaces andvillas in the city were and still are austere and majestic, the interiors tended to be luxurious and elaborate, often full of tapestries, many of which were Flemish.[117] Famous is theGenoese lace called with its name of Turkish originmacramè. Very used in Genoa is thecobblestone calledRisseu and a kind ofazulejo calledlaggioni.
Genoa has been likened by many to a Mediterranean New York, perhaps for its high houses that in the Middle Ages were the equivalent of today's skyscrapers, perhaps for the sea route Genoa-New York which in past centuries has been travelled by millions of emigrants. The architectRenzo Picasso in his visionary designs reinforces this strange affinity between the two cities.
Amongst the most notable Genoese painters of the 19th century and of the first half of the 20th century areTammar Luxoro,Ernesto Rayper,Rubaldo Merello, and Antonio Giuseppe Santagata. The sculptorFrancesco Messina also grew up in Genoa.
The city of Genoa has been an inspiration to many writers and poets among whom:Dino Campana,Camillo Sbarbaro [it],Gaspare Invrea [it] who wrote "The mouth of the wolf" andGiorgio Caproni. Between the alleys of the historical centre there is the OldLibreria Bozzi. The "Berio Civic Library" houses the precious manuscript entitled "The Durazzo Book of Hours". In the first half of the 20th century, the Mazzini Gallery's was a meeting place of many artists, writers and intellectuals among whomGuido Gozzano,Salvatore Quasimodo, Camillo Sbarbaro,Francesco Messina,Pierangelo Baratono [it],Eugenio Montale. In the 1930s theCircoli magazine was active in Genoa, and after World War II the "Il Gallo" magazine. Coveted and known from the 1960s to the 1980s was the Genoese literary lounge animated by the writerMinnie Alzona [it]. Dutch writerIlja Leonard Pfeijffer wrote "La Superba", a novel in which Genoa is prominently featured. This was followed by the autobiographical novel "Brieven uit Genua".
Since 1995, every June in Genoa theGenoa International Poetry Festival takes place, conceived byClaudio Pozzani [it] with the help ofMassimo Bacigalupo.
The oldest theatre in Genoa was theTeatro del Falcone. Active since the 16th century, it was the second public theatre in Italy, only preceded by the one in theRepublic of Venice.[119] It was followed by the Teatro delle Vigne which, however, along with other important theaters in the city (Teatro Margherita,Teatro Paganini, Teatro Colombo), was demolished between the 19th and 20th centuries, either to make way for urban expansion or due to damage caused bybombing of Genoa duringWorld War II.
TheTeatro Carlo Felice, the main opera theatre in the city, was built in 1828 in the Piazza De Ferrari, and named for the monarch of the thenKingdom of Sardinia (which included the present regions ofSardinia, Piedmont andLiguria). The theatre was the centre of music and social life in the 19th century. On various occasions in the history of the theatre, presentations have been conducted byMascagni,Richard Strauss,Hindemith andStravinsky. Other prominent Genoese theaters are theTeatro Nazionale di Genoa, Politeama Genovese, Teatro di Sant'Agostino and Teatro Gustavo Modena.
On the occasion of theChristopher Columbus celebration in 1992, new musical life was given to the area around the old port, including the restoration of the house ofPaganini and presentations of thetrallalero, the traditional singing of Genoese dock workers.
The trallalero, traditional music in the Genoese dialect, is apolyphonic vocal music, performed by five men and several songs. Thetrallalero are ancient songs that have their roots in the Mediterranean tradition. Another aspect of the traditional Genoese music is the "Nostalgic Song". The principal authors and singers of the Nostalgic Song in Genoese dialect areMario Cappello [it] who wrote the piece "Ma se ghe penso" (English: "But if I think about it"), a memory of Genoa by an emigrant to Argentina,Giuseppe Marzari [it],Agostino Dodero [it] up toI Trilli [it],Piero Parodi [it],Buby Senarega,Franca Lai [it]. The traditional Nostalgic Song will have a great influence on the so-calledScuola Genovese (Genoese School) of singer-songwriters that in some cases will mix the nostalgic feeling with pop and jazz atmospheres.
I Madrigalisti di Genova is a vocal and instrumental group formed in 1958 which specialised in medieval and Renaissance repertoire
The city has numerous music festivals, among which are Concerts atSan Fruttuoso abbey, Premio Paganini, I Concerti di San Torpete, International Music Festival Genova, We Love Jazz, Gezmatz Festival & Workshop, and Goa-Boa Festival. In the town ofSanta Margherita Ligure the ancient abbey of Cervara is often the site of chamber music.
The international tennis tournamentAON Open Challenger takes place in Genoa.
Inrugby union the city is represented by CUS Genova Rugby, which is the rugby union team of theUniversity of Genoa Sports Centre. CUS Genova had their peak in 1971–1973 when the team was runner-up of the Italian Serie A for three consecutive seasons and contested unsuccessfully the title toPetrarca Rugby. Amongst the CUS Genova players who representedItaly at international level the most relevant wereMarco Bollesan and Agostino Puppo.
Two sophisticated recipes of Genoese cuisine are: theCappon magro and theCima alla genovese [it] (a song byFabrizio De André is titled 'A Çimma and is dedicated to this Genoese recipe). Originating in Genoa isPandolce that gave rise toGenoa cake. The city lands its name to a special paste used to prepare cakes and pastries calledGenoise and to thePain de Gênes.
In Genoa there are many food markets in typical nineteenth-century iron structures as Mercato del Ferro, Mercato Dinegro, Mercato di Via Prè, Mercato di piazza Sarzano, Mercato del Carmine, Mercato della Foce, Mercato Romagnosi. TheMercato Orientale [it] instead is in masonry and has a circular structure.
Genoa has left an extraordinary impression on many noted personalities.Friedrich Nietzsche loved Genoa and wrote some of his works there.Sigmund Freud andEzra Pound lived near Genoa inRapallo.Anton Chekhov said that Genoa "is the most beautiful city in the world," andRichard Wagner wrote: "I have never seen anything like this Genoa! it is something indescribably beautiful".
Some reports say the navigator and explorer Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot) was also from Genoa, others say he was fromSavona.Saints from Genoa includeRomulus,Syrus,Catherine of Genoa. Among the latest generations, musicians like Andrea Bacchetti, Giulio Plotino, Sergio Ciomei, Lorenzo Cavasanti, Stefano Bagliano and Fabrizio Cipriani, as well as academics and authors like Michele Giugliano and Roberto Dillon, help in keeping the name of the city on the international spotlight in different fields among the arts, technology and culture.
Corso Italia runs for 2.5 km (1.6 mi) in thequartiere ofAlbaro, linking two neighbourhoods of Foce andBoccadasse. The promenade, which was built in 1908, overlooks the sea, towards the promontory ofPortofino. The main landmarks are the small lighthouse of Punta Vagno, the San Giuliano Abbey, and the Lido of Albaro.
Promenade of the upper ring road, so-called "Circonvallazione a Monte" that includes: Corso Firenze, Corso Paganini, Corso Magenta, Via Solferino, Corso Armellini.
Walks can be made from the centre of Genoa following one of the many ancient paths between tall palaces and the "Creuze" to reach the higher areas of the city where there are magnificent places likeBelvedere Castelletto, the "Righi's district", the "Santuario di Nostra Signora di Loreto", the "Santuario della Madonnetta", the "Santuario di San Francesco da Paola".
To reach the hinterland of theProvince of Genoa one can use the Genoa –Casella Old Railway, 25 kilometres (16 miles) of railway between the Genoese mountains.
^The objects found during the works for the underground had been exposed in the exhibitionArcheologia Metropolitana. Piazza Brignole e Acquasola, held at the Ligurian Archeology Museum (30 November 2009 – 14 February 2010) ([1]Archived 30 December 2013 at theWayback Machine)
^Melli, Piera.Genova preromana. Città portuale del Mediterraneo tra il VII e il III secolo a.C. (in Italian). Frilli.
^William Ledyard Rodgers (1967).Naval warfare under oars, 4th to 16th centuries: a study of strategy, tactics and ship design. Naval Institute Press. pp. 132–34.ISBN0-87021-487-X.
^Before Columbus: Exploration and Colonization from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, 1229–1492.
^Philip P. Argenti,Chius Vincta or the Occupation of Chios by the Turks (1566) and Their Administration of the Island (1566–1912), Described in Contemporary Diplomatic Reports and Official Dispatches (Cambridge, 1941), Part I.
^transcription after the edition by Joaquín Rubio Tovar (2005).
^E.g. "Richard Coeur de Lion embarked on Genoese galleys under their banner of the Red Cross and the flag of St. George, which he brought home to become the patron of Old England".The Journal of the Manchester Geographical Society, Volumes 7–8, 1891, p. 139. There are variants; in another version Richard is impressed with the Genoeseat Acre.
"I have been unable to find any solid ground for the common belief that the cross of St George was introduced as the national emblem of England by Richard I, and am of opinion that it did not begin to attain that position until the first years of the reign of Edward I." (Perrin 1922,p. 15).
^Tonizzi, Maria Elisabetta. "Genoa."History of World Trade Since 1450, edited byJohn J. McCusker, vol. 1, Macmillan Reference USA, 2006, pp. 311–312.Gale Virtual Reference Library.
^Zeihan, Peter (8 July 2024)."Why Genoa Is Graying: Italy's Demographic Decline".Zeihan on Geopolitics. Retrieved8 July 2024.The population of Genoa in 1972 was 950,000. Today, it is under 680,000. The scary part is that Genoa isn't an isolated instance. Italy's birth rate has been below replacement level for over 75 years, leading to an aging population and a shrinking tax base.
^Lester, Paul M. (January 1993). "Looks are deceiving: The portraits of Christopher Columbus".Visual Anthropology.5 (3–4):211–227.doi:10.1080/08949468.1993.9966590.
^The Diaries of John Ruskin (Selected and edited by Joan Severn and John Howard Whitehouse). Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1956. P99 to P102.
^"Relazioni internazionali" [International relations] (in Italian). Comune di Genova. Archived fromthe original on 28 October 2013. Retrieved11 November 2013.
Steven A. Epstein; "Business Cycles and the Sense of Time in Medieval Genoa." Business History Review 62 (1988): 238–60.
Face Richard. "Secular History in Twelfth-Century Italy: Caffaro of Genoa."Journal of Medieval History 6 (1980): 169–84.
Hughes Diane Owen. "Kinsmen and Neighbors in Medieval Genoa." InThe Medieval City, edited by Harry A. Miskimin, David Herlihy, and Adam L. Udovitch, 1977, 3–28.
Hughes Diane Owen. "Urban Growth and Family Structure in Medieval Genoa."Past and Present 66 (1975): 3–28.
Lopez Robert S. "Genoa." InDictionary of the Middle Ages, pp. 383–87. 1982.
Vitale Vito.Breviario della storia di Genova. Vols. 1–2. Genoa, 1955.
Giuseppe Felloni – Guido Laura "Genova e la storia della finanza: una serie di primati ?" "Genoa and the history of finance: a series of firsts ?" 9 November 2004,ISBN88-87822-16-6 (www.giuseppefelloni.it)
Van Doosselaere, Quentin,Commercial Agreements and Social Dynamics in Medieval Genoa (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009).
Гавриленко О. А., Сівальньов О. М., Цибулькін В. В. Генуезька спадщина на теренах України; етнодержавознавчий вимір. — Харків: Точка, 2017.— 260 с. —ISBN978-617-669-209-6
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