EUROPEAN CITY OF CULTURE 2004 - AN UPDATE

 

The Power of the Republic of Genoa was at its peak during the 15th, 16th, and the early part of the 17th centuries. Here was one of the most powerful City States in Europe, controlling the Mediterranean ports with fierce determination and vying for supremacy with the states of Pisa, Naples and Venice. The ruling families of the Doria's, the Palavicini's and the Grimaldi's kept an iron grip of discipline and helped Genoa to become one of the richest cities in Europe at the time.

 

Industry was at its highest point for the times. Did you know that the weaving and dyeing industry has still left its mark today? The famous blue dye of Genoa - le bleu de Gênes - are for blue jeans as they are now known. And it was the birthplace of Christopher Colombus and Nicolo Paganini, to name but two, as well as the birthplace, so to speak, of the risorgimento where the expedition of the One Thousand departed from, led by Mazzini, Garibaldi and Marneli, to bring about the constitution of the Kingdom of Italy.

 

Genoa also boasts today the largest remaining intact medieval city in Europe. The plethora of churches, with untold numbers of works of art, including works by Rubens, Van Dyck, Tintoretto, and many other famous and not so famous artists, still amaze the locals with the discovery of hidden gems, as well as the tourist.

 

In the 19th century, Genoa became a major beneficiary of the industrial revolution and the continued industrialisation of the city during the 20th century has played no small part in the downgrading of Genoa as a tourist attraction. Huge steel plants, gasworks, concrete factories, as well as shipbuilding contributed greatly to the economy of the city, but rapidly became a major factor in its uglification.

 

 The crowning ignominy was the sopralevata, a giant freeway that swathes above the city, belching fumes from fast Italian car drivers and heavy lorries in their attempt to pass through Genoa as fast as possible, hideously blocking the magnificent views of the Old Port even today.

 

If you looked at some of the guide books to Italy even ten years ago, you will find almost universal condemnation of its ugliness - “a place to drive through on the way to the Byron-inspired shores of the Levante”. Since they didn't even bother to stop, how could they tell you about the magnificent art that abounded in almost every part of the old city of Genoa, as well as paintings, sculptures and palaces of outstanding architectural beauty?

 

Not to mention such great constructions as the Staglione Cemetary, where all the Genovese families appear to outdo each other in the incredible mausoleums they have put up. Well worth a visit, not only for this, but also to visit the graves of some of Italy's most famous persons as well as war graves of British and Commonwealth soldiers, probably long forgotten, but still beautifully maintained by the city of Genoa. Culturally, Genoa boasts of over 40 theatres and a very fine opera house where some of the best singers in the world have performed.

 

It wasn't until the late 198o’s, whilst thinking about how to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America by Christopher Colombus in 1492, that the city fathers woke up to the fact that Genoa had degenerated so much structurally, that an enormous amount of funds were needed to upgrade the city.

 

The crowning ignominy was the sopralevata, a Since the update decision, thanks to an enlightened policy, the old port has been re-developed, as in many an oceanside city around the world, into a modern playground for locals and tourists alike. And there is more construction in hand. In fact, one would be forgiven if one thought that Genoa was one great big building site. Having been designated as the European City of Culture for 2004 (jointly with Lille, in northern France), today's Genoa, after a phase of economic and demographic decline, is now striving to achieve a balance of commercial realism with artistic manifestations of intellectual collective achievement. The city quite rightly saw the 2004 award as a stepping stone to a more permanent upgrading of the city's appeal to the visitor, so the construction you see heralds a permanent change for the future. With cheap train travel, Genoa is also an ideal centre for exploring the Levante and Ponente Rivieras. Don't take a car - the coast road is jam packed with traffic and there is nowhere to park.

 

WHAT TO SEE IN GENOA...

There are exhibitions of paintings, sculptures, architecture, science and technology, cultural relationships with other cultures and religions, religious artifacts, history of the port and the sea and many other manifestations. The best place to get detailed information on what is going on in Genoa is www.provincia.genova.it, but it is mostly in Italian. A trawl through sites in Google should also bring results.

WHERE TO STAY IN GENOA...

Not a lot of out and out luxury hotels in Genoa. Probably the best are the Star Hotel President, near the Brignole railway station, the Bristol Palace in downtown Via XX Septembre, or the Jolly Hotel Marina at the Old Port. All will set you back between €150 and €350 depending on the room and season. Novotel is a bit out of the way, although handy for the ferries to Sardinia etc., but their usual standards prevail, as they do at the Columbus nearby. Both marginally less than the first two. Less expensive, but well-located near the Principe railway station and at a reasonable standard, are the Savoia Majestic and the Ramada Hotel, around €100 to €150 a night. There’s a lot of budget hotels in the old city centre - not recommended. You could probably find something decent, such as the Vittoria, or the Agnello d'Oro, for around €80. The Expedia or Ryanair sites list hotels at all prices, but our advice is to stick to the ones mentioned above. Nevertheless, we would welcome your feedback on these or any other places.

 

WHERE TO EAT IN GENOA...

Now this is something which we have had some experience of. We review some of the best.

 

HOW TO GET TO GENOA FROM THE UK...

Cheapest: Ryanair www.ryanair.com from Stansted Airport. Flights vary from £ 27 return to maybe £100. Problem is that at the time of writing, there is only one flight a day, which leaves Stansted at 7:45 am.! BA no longer fly there so Ryanair have the monopoly at the moment. You can drive - more expensive, but if the drive down is part of the holiday experience, we can point you in the direction of some very interesting places to visit. But beware, try and fix up a hotel with parking. Parking spaces are at a premium in Genoa, even more so with all the construction works going on. Bear in mind too, the Italian propensity for parking just about anywhere, whether it is legal or not.