Genoa, Italy, along with Lille, France, was a designated
a “European Capital
of
Culture”
for 2004 by the European Union. As a result,
funding was
provided to enable
Genoa to develop infrastructure, rehab public buildings
and
develop additional
cultural activities and festivals to enhance
their
attractiveness
as a tourist and cultural force in northern
Italy.
Genoa’s old town carrugi, the traditional warren
of streets and alleys, are fun and enlightening to explore. The short,
narrow streets with their twists, turns and dead-ends were created intentionally
as a defense device. Invaders would become slowed down and spread out as
they advanced to the orderly and spacious areas favored by the elite merchant
classes. In more recent times this has been the housing
of the lower class, rife with drugs and other illicilt and unsavory
activities. Today, many sections of this area is becoming home to
the professional class who have discovered the attractiveness of living
and working in the center city. With narrow passages and tall buildings
blocking visual landmarks and even most of the sky it is easy to become
disoriented or to feel lost. Staying in areas with lots of activity and
other visitors is strongly encouraged. That said, I really enjoyed the
sense of discovery and fresh observations. I never felt threatened, but
we did see signs that this is not an area to wander without paying attention.
On a sunny afternoon we came across this peace march proceeding
from the
waterfront area along Via San Lorenzo to the Cathedral. While marching
and
displaying banners pleading for peace and to bring the boys home they
sang
the
hauntingly beautiful World War II era that had the similar theme,
“bring
the partisans home.” Back then it was to bring them back to Rome.
Today’s
plea was to bring them back from foreign excursions (Iraq). I found myself
humming
the tune throughout my visit. Several months later I heard a gypsy
boy playing that
song while visiting Rome. That brought back fond memories
and a bit of a tear.
This is a view from McKenzie’s Castle which now is home to
an auction house.
Renowned art lover and collector, Mitchell Wolfson, Jr., began restoring
the castle
to house his
extensive collection of decorative and propaganda arts of the
20’s and 30’s before deciding that the enormous task was not compatible
with
his museum’s mission. The resoration is being continued by
the present
owners
and includes apartments on upper levels for family.
A few streets from Via Garibaldi is the Castelletto lift
(elevator) which can be
taken up to Spianata Castelletto (Belvedere L. Montaldo)
for breathtakingly
panoramic views of the city, harbor and Alpine backdrop
which define Genoa.
This is the Gilded Gallery in the Palazzo Carrega Cataldi
on Via Garibaldi.
Like many older buildings in Genoa, it suffered extensive
damage from aerial
bombings in World War II. It has been restored although
much of the restoration
is a reproduction as elements have been
removed over the years and
now reside in museums throughout the world.
Portofino is a popular day trip with ferry service from Santa
Margherita.
Jet-setters enjoy staying at lovely Portofino while day trippers
can indulge in an expensive cappuccino, browse art galleries, buy
a
post
card and fantasize about how
the other half (?) lives.
No white-sand beaches here, but sun worshippers find
the
south facing beaches of northwestern Italy inviting.
The coastline between Genoa and Portofino to the east certainly
is picturesque.
We took time to wander around coastal villages on our return
day trip to Portofino.
In Recco, between Genoa and Portofino, Vittorio and Gianni
Bisso
carry on the family tradition of lovingly and enthusiasticaly serving
traditional northern Italian cuisine with a passion and flair.
