Modern genoa - Cultura in Liguria

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iitineraries between the LeVant and the city center
GENOVA MODERNA COP INGLESE_Layout 1 09/02/15 16:39 Pagina 1
Modern Genoa
Modern Genoa
itineraries
between the LeVant
and the citycenter
Modern Genoa
itineraries
between the LeVant
and the citycenter
GENOVA MODERNA ACCESSIT INGLESE 12-09_Layout 1 09/02/15 16:45 Pagina 2
Modern genoa
ITINERARIES
BETwEEN ThE LEVANT
AND ThE CITy CENTER
Claudio Burlando
Presidente
Angelo Berlangieri
Assessore alla Cultura
Luca Fontana
Direttore Generale
Maria Franca Floris
Dirigente
Fondazione regionale per la Cultura e lo Spettacolo
Maria Teresa Orengo, Amministratore Unico
Stefano Scarpa, Direttore
Donatella Buongirolami, Responsabile progetti
Progetto strategico Accessit
Coordinamento generale
Maria Teresa Orengo
Comune di Genova
Volume a cura di Matteo Fochessati e Gianni Franzone
Fotografie
Luigino Visconti, Genova: pp. 7, 14, 16-18, 19 (in alto), 21-22, 24-25, 27 (in alto), 28-29, 3144, 46-47, 50-51, 54-55, 57, 58-60, 62-64, 65 (in basso), 66-67, 73 (in basso), 76-79, 83 (in
alto); Casa d’Aste Cambi, Genova: pp. 69, 72; Giuseppe Fornari, Genova: p. 10 (in alto);
Mario Parodi, Genova: pp. 12-13, 20, 83 (in basso); Stazioni Marittime SpA, Genova:
pp. 81 (in alto), 82, 83 (in alto).
I curatori del volume desiderano ringraziare i direttori e i curatori dei musei civici che hanno
concesso la pubblicazione delle opere conservate nelle loro collezioni: Pierangelo Campodonico, Maria Camilla De Palma, Maria Flora Giubilei, Elisabetta Papone, Loredana Pessa,
Raffaella Ponte. Si ringraziano inoltre: Famiglia Cambi, Emmina de Negri, Giuseppe Fornari,
Linda Gianbirtone, Enrico Pinna, Gianluca Terragna, Andrea Verdiani.
Un sincero ringraziamento a Donatella Buongirolami, Marco Ciarlo, Mauro Darchi, Simona
Martini, Maria Teresa Orengo e Stefano Scarpa.
Realizzazione editoriale
Sagep Editori Srl - Genova (www.sagep.it)
PreSenTaZIone
Inserito nel programma comunitario Italia Francia Marittimo, un progetto
strategico come ACCESSIT, volto a favorire l’accessibilità del patrimonio
artistico-culturale, non poteva non prendere in considerazione le emergenze architettoniche e monumentali della Genova moderna, cioè del
periodo compreso tra la metà dell’Ottocento e i giorni nostri, in cui la città
ha subito molti e significativi cambiamenti che si sono inevitabilmente riflessi sulla sua immagine urbana e i cui segni o segnali si impongono a
chi la vive o la visita.
Genova moderna. Percorsi tra il levante e il centro città è stata concepita
come una guida comoda e maneggevole che il cittadino e il turista possono portarsi dietro e consultare in ogni momento. Il titolo stesso chiarisce che non vuole essere una guida completa, ma limitata a certe aree
urbane, alcune delle quali sovente trascurate nelle guide onnicomprensive, mentre, per ovvie ragioni di spazio, tralascia altre aree ugualmente
importanti, come, ad esempio, il ponente, epicentro dei grandi episodi di
industrializzazione e deindustrializzazione che hanno trasformato la città
a partire dalla fine del secondo conflitto mondiale.
I curatori hanno deciso di procedere per “episodi”, concentrandosi su brani architettonici e monumentali che hanno segnato Genova non solo dal
punto di vista più specificatamente architettonico e artistico, ma anche
da quello più genericamente culturale, sociale, ambientale e si potrebbe
dire antropologico. È il caso di Nervi, in cui, accanto ai musei, vengono
presi in considerazione i parchi storici, episodi straordinari di una cultura
del paesaggio oggi spesso messa in discussione. È il caso del castello
Mackenzie e dell’architettura dei Coppedè che si configura come una risposta squisitamente autoctona di un determinato ceto sociale nel momento della sua massima ascesa in un originale connubio tra modernità
e persistenza della tradizione. O ancora le grandi piazze “pubbliche” otto-novecentesche – De Ferrari, della Vittoria e Dante – in una città il cui
centro storico è stato connotato da sempre da piazze private e familiari,
simbolo di un’organizzazione socio-economica di stampo oligarchico e
consortile.
Il risultato è quindi un volume inteso a favorire un’accessibilità “globale”
ad alcuni dei brani più significativi della Genova moderna.
Maria Teresa Orengo
Amministratore Unico
Fondazione regionale per la Cultura e lo Spettacolo
Genova
Itinerari del Patrimonio Identitario
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InTroducTIon
4
InTroducTIon
5
1. The ParkS and MuSeuMS In nervI
6
Gianni Franzone
2. The MonuMenT To The ThouSand aT QuarTo
14
Gianni Franzone
3. danerI’S caSa LITTorIa and raTIonaLIST
archITecTure In Genoa
22
Matteo Fochessati
4. PIaZZa roSSeTTI and The “Foce”
28
Matteo Fochessati
5. The STaGLIeno ceMeTery
36
Matteo Fochessati
6. PIaZZa deLLa vITTorIa and The urban PLannInG
oF The bISaGno rIver PLaIn
44
Gianni Franzone
7. PIaZZa danTe
52
Matteo Fochessati
8. PIaZZa de FerrarI: “The PLaZa oF The GenoeSe”
60
Gianni Franzone
9. The caSTeLLo MackenZIe by GIno coPPedè
and The SPreadInG oF The ecLecTIcISM In Genoa
beTween The 19Th and 20Th cenTury
68
Matteo Fochessati
in conceiving this guide on modern architecture in the capital of
Liguria there was no ambition to
cover the overall artistic and architectural panorama of 20th century
Genoa. in fact, the itinerary we
analyzed in ten macro files concerns a specific area and excludes, for example, an area
which has been critical for the
city's recent urban growth, such
as the western one. this choice
nonetheless allowed us to focus
on a vast metropolitan area, defined by profound transformations
that took place during the period
taken into consideration. these
radical changes not only altered
the city's features but were also
decisive for the social, political,
and economical dynamics which
accompanied its growth in those
times. the inauguration in these
areas of important monuments by
famous artists, the consistent and
innovative construction of public
and private buildings, and especially the fundamental urban planning projects initiated during those
5
years were indeed all essential for
the city's development and redefinition of its specific role in the national context of that era.
this guide therefore invites the
reader to discover the recent history of Genoa in stages and gives
prominence to some artistic and
architectural treasures which are
often underestimated or ignored
by most, despite their significant
international importance.
examples are the Monumental
cemetery of staglieno and the testimonies of 19th and early 20th century eclectic architecture, of which
Mackenzie castle is a famed and
prestigious model. Precisely in giving new consideration to our mutual passion for the rediscovery of
these artistic and architectural testimonies in our city, we feel the
need to remember the teachings
of Franco sborgi, who, through his
fundamental and groundbreaking
studies, traced for us and for many
of his students an inspiring research pathway rich with cultural
implications.
Matteo Fochessati
and Gianni Franzone
10. FroM The PorTo anTIco To The MarITIMe STaTIonS 76
Gianni Franzone
vISITor InForMaTIon
Itineraries of the accessible heritage
84
The Parks and Museums in Nervi
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6 1. The ParkS and MuSeuMS In nervI
Gianni Franzone
nervi's popularity as a health resort
town and vacation destination began growing in the 19th century. although its full potential awaits to be
achieved, today nervi's historical
parks and villas, museum collec-
tions, and charming seafront promenade along a rocky coast attract
many tourists. the town's historical
parks comprise the grounds of Villa
Groppallo, Villa serra saluzzo, and
Villa Grimaldi Fassio, which com-
Pietro Luxoro, Villa Luxoro sede del Museo Giannettino Luxoro, 1903
pose a grassy slope extending between the seafront promenade
dedicated to anita Garibaldi and
the ancient roman road, today
called Via capolungo.
Other suburban areas of Genoa
soon became actual “villa town”,
characterized by mansions with
sumptuous renaissance and
baroque gardens. however, in
nervi, the vacation homes con-
structed by Genoa's noble families
were surrounded by a landscape
that remained substantially agrarian throughout the 18th century and
was defined by olive groves, vineyards, and citrus orchards.
during the first decades of the 19th
century the situation changed with
the creation of landscape parks;
magnificent examples of the romantic english-style garden so
Museo Giannettino Luxoro, sala da pranzo
7
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8 popularth in the environs of Genoa.
the18 century agostino Lomellini
gardens, which once existed in
Pegli, were the very first example
of this kind of garden in italy.
around 1818, Gerolamo serra purchased the mansion with gardens
and began developing a park. in
Villa Grimaldi Fassio, sede delle Raccolte Frugone
1825, Gaetano Groppallo did the
same with an inherited property
neighboring with serra's. the two
parks thus became a major attraction from a landscape standpoint
and well-known throughout the
9
Giovanni boldini, Miss Bell, 1901,
raccolte Frugone, Genova
country. the carefully-planned
shaping of the land; the beauty of
the views; the richness of the vegetation, featuring both Mediterranean plants (maritime pines, cypresses, olive trees, holm oaks,
laurels, carob trees, lentisks, and
strawberry trees) and exotic and
tropical plants (various kinds of
palm trees, araucarias, sago
palms, agaves, eucalyptus trees,
pepper trees, camphor trees,
cedars, and magnolias); the monumental trees planted in the center
of the lawns, as if they were unique
pieces in an art collection; and the
combination of diverse species to
produce a chromatic effect are only
a few of the parks' important characteristics.
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10
Uno scorcio del parco di villa Gropallo
lection of clocks, with a series of
“night clocks” dating from the mid17th century, and one of nativity figurines. after the city purchased Villa Grimaldi Fassio, in 1993 it was
open to the public as the gallery
which housed the Frugone collection. these comprised paintings,
sculptures, and drawings from between the second half of the 19th
century and the first thirty years of
the 20th century. this collection was
bequeathed by Lazzaro Giovanni
battista and Luigi Frugone, entrepreneurs and patrons, to the city.
after being closed for over ten
11
Plinio nomellini, Nuova gente, 1909, Galleria d’arte Moderna, Genova
Villa Saluzzo Serra, sede della Galleria d’Arte Moderna
the two properties were bought by
the city of Genoa in 1927 – the
year following the constitution of
the Greater Genoa (i.e. the administrative unification of the municipalities surrounding the city center)
– with a millionaire investment
which aimed at creating a prestigious art center in an attractive environmental setting, according to a
specific project developed by Orlando Grosso, director of the civico
Ufficio belle arti.
in fact, with such acquisitions the
city was able to establish the Galleria d’arte Moderna inside Villa
serra in december 1928 and, at
the same time, safeguard an exceptional piece of landscape.
Grosso's original project was expanded over the following decades.
in 1951, as a result of the donation
from the last owner, the Museo Giannettino Luxoro was inaugurated
not far from Villa serra. Villa Luxoro
was planned by Pietro Luxoro in
1903 and converted into a housemuseum. it houses the family collections which comprise drawings,
paintings, furniture, ceramics, silverware, fabrics, and laces – most
produced locally between the 17th
and 18th century; as well as a col-
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12 years and undergoing restoration,
Villa serra was re-inaugurated in
november 2004 with an updated
exhibition walkthrough. Lastly, in
december 2005, the wolfsoniana
(permanent home of the collection
which once belonged to Mitchell
“Micky” wolfson Jr., an american
patron who donated it to the city)
was established inside the sober
school building situated on the nar-
row street that separates the parks
of Villa serra and Villa Gropallo.
thus, nervi became the city's museum center devoted to modern
art, showcasing vast and varied attractions (paintings, sculptures,
decorative arts, and architecture).
all this in addition to its extraordinary naturalistic and environmental
heritage, enhanced in 1981 by the
inclusion of the famous and recent-
Luigi Fontana & c., Milano, Salotto, 1902 circa, wolfsoniana, Genova
ly-restored rose gardens situated at
the eastern end of the park of Villa
Grimaldi Fassio. the idea came
from Luigi Viacava, then director of
the city's Garden and Forest department, whom the gardens were
named after. they feature several
hundreds of rose varieties,
arranged according to hybridizers.
the museums at nervi also tell the
story of private collections which
later became public. the collection
of Prince Odone of savoy, son of
King Victor emanuel ii, represents
13
ernesto (Michahelles) thayaht, Il grande
nocchiere, 1939, wolfsoniana, Genova
the founding nucleus of the Galleria
d’arte Moderna, as well as that of
other city museums. Other private
collections that became public were
those of the Luxoro family; of the
Frugone brothers, created in close
collaboration with Ferruccio stefani, their merchant from Mantua;
and of Micky wolfson. not least
worthy of mention are the minor
collections, such as those of Filippo
ala Ponzone, a nobleman from Milan, and of the spouses demetrio
Ferrero and elena rombo. both
are currently displayed inside the
Galleria d’arte Moderna. this Galleria's artistic heritage also testifies
the period in which the city purchased works (primarily during the
two decades between the world
wars) at the most important art exhibitions held locally, nationally, and
abroad. the city of Genoa thus
gave proof of being as farsighted
as a clever collector.
The Monument to the Thousand at Quarto
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14 2. The MonuMenT To The ThouSand aT QuarTo
15
Gianni Franzone
the decision to build a commemorative monument was made only a
few years after the expedition of the
thousand, on account of its profound historical meaning and great
symbolic value. it was to be erected
on the site from where Giuseppe
Garibaldi sailed off to sicily, on 5
May, 1860, with his one-thousand
volunteers on the steamships Lombardo and Piemonte, offered by a
ship-owner from Genoa, raffaele
rubattino. since a memorial stone
had been placed on the well-known
sea rock in Quarto, from which
Garibaldi sailed, by the confederazione Operaia Genovese two years
after the venture, a nearby area was
chosen as the site for the group
sculpture.
after a first, unsuccessful attempt in
1907, the city of Genoa announced
a national competition on 1 december, 1909, for the realization of the
monument. the deadline for submitting the models was set for 10
april of the following year and the
sum allotted for the work was
“Genova Rivista Municipale”, aprile 1938, copertina
eugenio baroni, Il Monumento ai Mille, 1915
100,000 lira. Of the sixty-three
artists who submitted their models,
worthy of mention are angiolo del
santo, Pietro albino, Giacinto Pasciuti, Luigi Orengo, Francesco
ciusa, eugenio Pellini, Lorenzo
Massa, demetrio Paernio, Vittorio
rossi, Pasquale rizzoli, Luigi brizzolara, and Venceslao borzani.
some presented models created
jointly with other artists; such as
raffaello romanelli and Gino
coppedè, Luigi Gichero and
amedeo calcaprina, edoardo de
albertis and annibale rigotti. when
the projects were displayed in the
newly-inaugurated Museo di storia
naturale very few had doubts as to
who would be the winner. the architect Mario Labò wrote that no
other model could compete with
that of the young and hardly-known
eugenio baroni (taranto, 1880 –
Genoa, 1935) due to its expressive
power and innovativeness.
the judging committee was headed
by Giulio Monteverde and consisted
of important names, such as the
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16 sculptors Leonardo bistolfi, Ludovi-
co Pogliaghi, and domenico trentacoste; and the painters Giulio aristide sartorio and tullio salvatore
Quinzio, elected commissioner by
the contestants. the jury officially
announced baroni’s work winner of
the competition. second awards
went to the joint project by alberto
dressler and Giovanni chini; and to
ezio ceccarelli, Guido bianconi, and
arnaldo Fazzi.
baroni’s model drew inspiration from
the Garibaldi Hymn, by Luigi Mercantini, from which the famous
phrase “the tombs are uncovered
and the dead rise from their graves”
originates. the sculpture was conceived as a pyramid, whose sharp
tip was replaced by the figure of
Garibaldi leading his men, who have
fallen and risen, towards their goal.
the hero is shown standing, naked,
with his hands clenched in fists. this
depiction recalls the image of Jean
d’aire, one of the five bourgeois
from calais – protagonists of the famous event of the hundred years’
war – represented in the famous
bronze statue by auguste rodin. in
this statue, the great French sculptor
offered a new and modern interpretation of Michelangelo’s style. baroni
molded his Garibaldi after the figure
of bartolomeo Pagano, a longshoreman working in the port of Genoa,
who was to become famous for
playing the role of the giant Maciste
in the film Cabiria, by Gabriele d’annunzio. the vigorous bodies of other
young “camalli”, as the longshoremen were locally called , were used
as models for Garibaldi’s volunteers,
depicted in the act of awaking from
their sleep to partake in the venture.
to render the large, open wings of
Victory, the artist observed carefully
the flight of birds.
Garibaldi’s neo-Michelangelesque
heroic appearance is accompanied
by a dynamic and sensual vortex.
in the group of rising soldiers there
are no corners or edges, but only
curves in the swirling, magmatic,
and enveloping shapes. however,
baroni was able to move beyond the
examples set by both rodin and
Leonardo bistolfi and offer his personal and original style, thus avoiding the risk of slipping into a renewed classicism or art nuveau
decorativism, which was still so popular. the monument at Quarto is a
sculpture that does not favor one
particular point of view, but can be
admired as a whole. the overall rising movement that the viewer perceives is its dominating and defining
Petrus theodor tetar van elven, La partenza dei Mille, 1889,
istituto Mazziniano-Museo del risorgimento, Genova
17
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18
19
Plinio nomellini, Bozzetto del manifesto per l’inaugurazione del Monumento ai Mille,
1915, istituto Mazziniano-Museo del risorgimento, Genova
Plinio nomellini, Inaugurazione del Monumento ai Mille, 1915, istituto MazzinianoMuseo del risorgimento, Genova
L’inaugurazione del Monumento ai Mille il 5 maggio 1915, centro docsai, Genova
characteristic. but the young sculptor also simplified the shapes while
dramatizing the images and volumes of the naked bodies in a highly
expressive, or “expressionist”, manner. the novelty of baroni’s style
was in his declared synthetic vision
and in the emotional and expressive
turing Garibaldi was made larger.
his contract with the city provided
that he finish the monument within
four years, in other words on 18
May, 1915. although it was originally
to be carved from carrara marble,
the monument was eventually cast
in bronze. it was baroni himself who
tension he was able to render. he
would further develop this in his future works.
well-aware of these characteristics, the judging committee advised baroni to give prominence to
the sculpture and reduce the pyramid. thus the group sculpture fea-
suggested this change in May 1914
to the judging committee, which approved. the “terrible bronze sculpture”, as defined by Gabriele d’annunzio, was cast at the Fonderia
Pasquali in Pistoia.
while baroni hastily worked at completing his work in “a sort of rational
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20 delirium”, to quote a friend and art
critic, ettore cozzani, the war broke
out. the artist felt the urge to enlist,
so the completion of the monument
became even more pressing. actually, he immediately realized that his
Garibaldi could become the sign for
italy’s intervention in the conflict. so
much so that he wrote: “i am confi-
dent that, with my work, i have given
my country the prophecy of the resurrection and the vigilant and sharp
memory of suffered martyrdoms”.
the inauguration of the monument,
originally scheduled on 9 May,
1915, was moved up to the 5. the
invitations were designed by Pietro
dodero and the poster by Plinio
Leonetto cappiello, imprimerie Vercasson, Paris, Le trait-d’union franco-italien
Quotidien du soir, 1916 circa, wolfsoniana, Genova
nomellini. a crowd of italian journalists were present at the event,
which became a stage for a passionate speech given by d’annunzio, who had returned from France
for the inauguration. More than celebrate baroni’s work, his speech
was meant to convince those present that italy’s intervention in the
war was imperative. thus the
sculptural group created for Quarto,
originally commissioned and conceived to symbolically conclude the
risorgimento epic after fifty years,
became the emblem of interventionist and nationalistic sentiments
only a few days before italy entered
the Great war.
Particolare della lastra d’acciaio contenente i nomi dei 1089 volontari di Garibaldi, 2010
21
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22 3. danerI’S caSa LITTorIa
and raTIonaLIST archITecTure In Genoa
Matteo Fochessati
the edifice of the “casa Littoria rionale nicola bonservizi” was designed by Luigi carlo daneri and
constructed in sturla between
1936 and 1938. Of the 20th century
buildings in Genoa it may be con-
sidered the most faithful transposition of the theoretical and operative principles of the Modern
Movement. in fact, the basic elements of the rationalist style can
be seen in its delicate structure,
Luigi c. daneri, Casa rionale Littoria “Nicola Bonservizi”, 1936-1938
Daneri’s Casa Littoria and Rationalist Architecture in Genoa
which serves the purpose of harmonizing the different levels of the
surrounding area. specific to this
style are the building’s strip-windows, the elliptical shape of the
staircase, the lack of symmetry,
and the smooth finish of the white
plaster. its rigorous layout also
confirms daneri’s definite adoption
of the modernist style. Luigi carlo
daneri trained with coppedè and
soon became one of the main exponents of rationalist architecture
in Genoa. however, the fact that
some of his projects are reminiscent of walter Gropius and Le corbusier (the slender piers that support the structure recall Villa
savoye) seems to suggest that his
adoption of the modernist style
was based more on technical and
operative needs rather than on
Luigi c. daneri e Luigi Vietti con a. Fineschi, G. Zappa, r. Morozzo della rocca,
G.c. nicoli, G. crosa di Vergagni, r. haupt, Abitazione tipica a struttura d’acciaio,
V triennale di Milano, 1933, wolfsoniana, Genova
23
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24 theoretic and conceptual sympa-
thy.
daneri had also designed the
church of san Marcellino (1933–
35). this project received positive
reviews by contemporary critics on
account of the church’s impressive
monumental structure, in which
the modernist style blended with
“novecento” architectural features.
in that same period daneri confirmed his conformance to the rationalist style with his plan for Villa
Venturini (1931–34). Unfortunately
this house was demolished in
1990, showing the city’s poor consideration of its modernist-style
buildings. Like the casa Littoria in
sturla, it was a sort of manifesto of
that innovative architectural language. during this period, daneri
shared this inclination with several
other colleagues in Genoa, as
documented by the Typical House
with a Steel Structure, presented
at the 5th triennal of Milan in 1933
by a group of architects from Liguria (Fineschi, Zappa, Morozzo
della rocca, nicoli, crosa di Vergagni, and renato haupt) headed
by daneri himself and Luigi Vietti.
although this project was developed by both modernist exponents
and more moderate personalities,
its distinct rationalist plan was its
true defining characteristic. the rationalist style is also clear in The
Typical Economic Apartment, designed by Giulio Zappa, who used
mass-produced and modular furniture made of linoleum-covered
tubolar metal; and in The Apartment for a Family, designed by Vietti, who engaged in a peculiar
mediation with organic architecture to achieve his purpose. this
planning inclination was testified
especially by the shape of some
armchairs made of laminated bentwood, designed for the new mar-
25
itime station of Ponte andrea doria, and inspired by the chairs that
alvar aalto displayed in 1936 at
the triennal of Milan.
the theoretic debate that developed in Genoa on the emerging
modernist style also involved two
other important architectural projects, realized in the city during the
same period. such a debate was
engendered by the important publicity given to the topic by attilio
Podestà, who was in charge of the
column La Specola delle Arti (published between 1932 and 1933 in
“il secolo XiX”) and correspondent
of “casabella” (1933–43), to which
the architect Mario Labò contributed.
not far from the daneri’s casa Littoria (on the eastbound road and
on the seafront), stands the “istituto Giannina Gaslini” children’s
hospital. built between 1931 and
1938 and planned by angelo crippa, it marked the beginning of the
consistent application of rationalist principles to construction proj-
angelo crippa (con aldo Zuccarelli), Ingresso dell’Ospedale pediatrico “Istituto
Giannina Gaslini”, 1931-1938
ects. icrippa’s original eclectic
background, vaguely reminiscent
of the secession style, is still partially visible in the church, which
is entirely decorated with mosaics
and wall paintings by Pietro dodero. this hospital complex consists of 17 buildings connected to
angelo crippa, Chiesa dell’Ospedale pediatrico “Istituto Giannina Gaslini”, 1931-1938
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26 each other via galleries. crippa’s
project reflected the needs of a
rigorous organizational system
applied to hospital services. the
project was evidently inspired by
concepts of efficiency and modernity, as its technological apparatuses were advanced for those
times, and ideologically reflected
the ethical and behavioral principals of the Fascist regime (the
lobby originally housed a statue of
Mussolini caressing a child, by
Giorgio Giordani). to render the
hospital’s logistics perfectly functional, the architectural plan of the
complex presented a rational organizational system, with the sin-
gle wards (housed inside separate yet connected buildings)
arranged around a central building (the General Medicine and
Pediatrics clinic). the concave
and convex surfaces of the facade of this building recall the design of the “scuola della Gioventù
italiana del Littorio”, by camillo
nardi Greco and Lorenzo castello
(1937).
between 1930 and 1935, the recently and carefully restored stadio del nuoto (swimming center)
of albaro, planned by Paride contri, was constructed on the area
east of daneri’s casa del Fascio.
in 1934, contri had also designed
Paride contri, Stadio comunale del nuoto “Piscine d’Albaro”, 1935 circa, centro
docsai, Genova
27
Paride contri, Stadio comunale del nuoto “Piscine d’Albaro”, 1930-1935
the Mercato dei Fiori (Flower Market building), which was demolished in 1987, during the construction of the business center of corte
Lambruschini. the design of the
stadio del nuoto conformed to the
models of international rationalism. this is evident in the strip windows of the two symmetrical,
semicircular buildings and in the
platform roof supported by metal
posts that runs between the two
buildings. the interiors have preserved the lively mosaic decorations realized by the company ceramica Ligure.
especially noteworthy is Il Nuotatore (The Swimmer), designed by
Fillia, which bears witness to the
Futurist “plastica murale”. this mural is reminiscent of Fillia ceramic
mosaic, Le comunicazioni terrestri
e marittime (The terrestrial and
maritime communications), which
he realized for the tower of the
Palazzo della Poste, designed by
angiolo Mazzoni, in La spezia
(1933).
Piazza Rossetti and the “Foce”
Project ACCESSIT
28 4. PIaZZa roSSeTTI and The “Foce”
Matteo Fochessati
the urban planning of the “Foce”
district (the estuary of the river
bisagno) was part of a broader renewal plan of the areas east of the
city center, which had begun in the
early 20th century with the construction of a new street on the
sea, the current corso italia. this
street was soon to become a pic-
turesque promenade and a place
for leisure on account of the many
beach establishments that dotted
the coast – one along which upscale residential buildings would
be built. in the 1930s, in order to
upgrade the entire area, however,
the river bisagno had to be covered. the first projects for these
works were presented in the early
20th century and determined the
construction of a wide street on the
sea and the allotment of new constructible zones. this became possible after the confluence of the river was cleared of the Odero
shipyards in 1931.
the monumental yet modernist
image by which the city wished to
be defined through this imposing
urban renewal plan impacted most
of the planning choices regarding
office buildings and residential
complexes built after the implementation of the city development
plan for the area.
in particular, the rationalist style
characterized the construction of
the ristorante san Pietro, designed by Mario Labò and built
between 1935 and 1938. support-
Corso Italia e Boccadasse
29
Project ACCESSIT
30
31
Mario Labò, Ristorante San Pietro, 1935-1938, centro docsai, Genova
er during the early 1930s of the
Miar (Movimento italiano per
l’architettura razionale), this local
architect also planned the villa of
the famous collector della ragione, built in Quarto in 1940. the
building that housed the restaurant was defined by its delicate
appearance and by the carefully
chosen materials and range of
colors. the result was an ideal
blend of rationalist features and
organic architecture – a style
Labò developed under the influence of alvar aalto. images of the
restaurant building were published in the major architectural
magazines of those times. however, today it is definitely smaller
than the original on account of a
Luigi Vietti (con Mario braccialini), Case dei pescatori, 1936-1939
Luigi c. daneri, Piazza Rossetti, 1934-1958
partial demolition carried out during the construction of the elevated expressway (1962–65) and the
subsequent and radical transformation of its interiors.
such severe modifications were
also made to other nearby edifices, one example being the aci
office building (headquarters of the
regio automobil club d’italia in
1939), designed by camillo nardi
Greco and Lorenzo castello. here,
the original design of the waiting
room, embellished with paintings
by teresio beroggio depicting port
scenes, was heavily altered after
the demolition, in the 1980s, of the
annexed service station.
even more evident is the transformation of the casa dei pescatori, designed by Luigi Vietti and
planned from a technical standpoint by the city engineer Mario
braccialini (1936–39). in fact, this
residential complex, conceived
for the fishermen who lived in the
“Foce” district, definitely lost its
connection with the sea when the
trade fair quarter was built (195863), while the construction of the
elevated expressway determined
the elimination of the lateral portions.
the most challenging project for
the residential development of the
“Foce” area was however the construction of Piazza rossetti. Luigi
carlo daneri was entrusted with
the planning of the plaza after the
winning project of the competition
held in 1933 was set aside. daneri
relied on his specific entrepreneurial and architectural skills to develop this complex project, the work
for which began in 1934 and finished 1958. in particular, the
arrangement of the buildings in the
residential zone is the expression
of that concept of housing unit inspired by the famous complex in
Marseille designed by Le corbusier (1947-52) and which daneri
repeated on a smaller scale in the
plans of the blocks of flats at the
Lido d’albaro (1952–55). this
planning scheme characterized
many of his projects during the
postwar period. in point of fact,
daneri worked intensively as coordinator of the planning teams inItineraries of the accessible heritage
Project ACCESSIT
32 volved in two of the most important
projects for the “ina-casa” low income housing: the bernabò brea
quarter (realized jointly with Giulio
Zappa and Luciano Grossi bianchi
between 1950 and 1953) and the
Porta degli angeli complex (with
beverasco, Ginatta, Ferri, Pulitzer,
and sibilla, 1954–56). From 1956
antonio Maria Morera, Navigatore, 1938
to 1968 daneri also supervised,
along with eugenio Fuselli, the
planning of the Forte Quezzi quarter, commonly called “il biscione”.
Going back to the spirit of the
“Foce” area during the 1930s, it
must be pointed out that – just like
the architectural development that
had shaped the appearance of the
nearby Piazza della Vittoria – the
combination of monumentalism
and modernity reflected the same
principles of the Fascist propaganda, which aimed on one hand at
reaffirming the continuity of italy’s
illustrious historical past and on
the other at glorifying its contemporary national importance. this is
the scenario within which we
should view the statue of the Navigator, carved by antonio Maria
Morera from white carrara marble
after the presentation of a plaster
model during Mussolini’s visit to
Genoa in 1938. installed on the
sea front as the focal point of the
urban layout of the area, the ma-
eugenio Fuselli, Casa del Mutilato, 1937-1938
33
Project ACCESSIT
neers Franco sironi, Leo Finzi,
and remo Pagani, and the architect Lorenzo Martinoia. the latter
was eventually chosen and
brought to fruition between 1961
and 1963. the structure of the
Palasport was on the cutting-edge
for its times in terms of structural
model, static plan, and construction methodology, given it was one
of the first tensile structures in the
world. it is still today a significant
and courageous example of the
employment of concrete in large
structures.
Lastly, if on one hand an exhibition
pavilion designed by angelo Mangiarotti in 1963 was unfortunately
demolished during renovation
work carried out in 2001; on the
other, one of the most recent architectural novelties on the trade-fair
grounds is the Padiglione blu. designed by the French architect
Jean nouvel and put into use in
October 2008, during the boat
show, this pavilion was officially inaugurated in 2009.
34
Franco sironi, Leo Finzi, remo Pagani e Lorenzo Martinoia, Palazzo dello Sport, Fiera
di Genova, 1961-1963
jestic monument, with its energetic
and masculine appearance, embodied the cult of intrepidness expressed by the Fascist ideology
and here condensed in the Latin
motto, “Vivere non necesse, navigare necesse est” (“navigating is
necessary, living is not”).
the rhetoric of another important
theme of the Fascist propaganda
– the commemoration of victory
and sacrifice in war – was instead
expressed in the construction of
the casa del Mutilato, designed
by eugenio Fuselli (1937–38);
even though this celebratory dimension is partially tempered by
the harsh realism of the monuItineraries of the accessible heritage
ment I Mutilati (Wounded soldiers), by eugenio baroni, and by
the sober rationalist style of the
building, whose striped pattern
hints at the vernacular culture.
the greatest urban transformation
of this area was determined in the
postwar period by the construction
of the trade fair quarter west of the
river bisagno estuary, on artificial
land obtained by paving over the
coast. the Palazzo dello sport
stands out among the buildings of
the trade fair. the competition for
its design was won by two projects: one entered by daneri and
Pier Luigi nervi and one by a
group encompassing the engi-
Jean nouvel, Padiglione Blu, Fiera di Genova, 2008
35
Project ACCESSIT
The Staglieno Cemetery
36 5. The STaGLIeno ceMeTery
37
Matteo Fochessati
an open-air museum displaying the
main sculptural expressions between the 19th and 20th century, the
staglieno monumental cemetery –
with its remarkable artistic heritage,
consisting of over five-thousand funerary monuments – offers visitors
a precise and ample overview of the
styles that developed in sculpture in
that period. the styles range from
the classical and romantic purism to
the “verismo” of the naturalist movement, from the expressive force of
art nouveau and symbolism to the
art deco simplifications and monumentalism of the “novecento”, and
chronologically ending with examples of the most recent aesthetic expressions of the postwar period.
throughout its consistent “urban”
growth, this necropolis – a city of the
deceased which expanded over
time just like the city of the living
people – has also mirrored the dominant social and cultural characteristics of each period, filtered by a conception of death which progressively
adjusted its peculiar interpretations
of such a concept to the artistic
movements that developed between the 19th and 20th century.
carlo barabino’s original project
(1837) was later continued by Giovanni battista resasco within an
overall urbanization of the banks of
the bisagno river. On the river’s side,
a monumental gallery was the
boundary of the future cemetery.
the works began in 1847 and officially finished in 1851, year in which
santo Varni, La Fede, 1868-1875
Gaetano Vittorio Grasso, Monumento
funebre a Giuseppe Mazzini, 1874-1877
Cimitero di Staglieno. Una delle gallerie
Project ACCESSIT
38 the first tombs were constructed. in
1903, the city announced a new
competition for the enlargement of
the cemetery. One of the participants
was Gino coppedè, who designed a
monumental and visionary project,
which was never accomplished. he
was however entrusted with planning the english cemetery in 1904.
the staglieno cemetery is worldwide famous on account of the artistic richness of its monumental
tombs and of the beauty of its wide
Luigi rovelli, Cappella Raggio, 1895
and varied landscape, which blended a rigorous classical style with the
picturesque aspect of the romantic
trend. the great renown of the
cemetery grew thanks to the fame
of the personalities buried there. besides the tombs in the protestant
sector of the German photographer
alfredo noack, realized in 1896 by
Giuseppe navone, and of constance Lloyd (a year after her death,
in 1899, and just after his release
from prison, her husband Oscar
wilde visited the tomb), the cemetery is also home to Giuseppe
Mazzini’s funerary monument. constructed in the “boschetto” area, this
tomb was designed by Gaetano Vittorio Grasso and is defined by overt
Masonic symbols.
the pureness of the classical design of the first monuments was determined by the need to conform to
the style of resasco’s architectural
plan and was embodied by his project for the rubattino rebizzo chapel
(1871). however, after 1880, this
design was abandoned in favor of
greater expressive freedom, which
produced a broad and varied range
of eclectic models. this trend seems
to be exemplarily represented by
the raggio chapel by Luigi rovelli
(1895), commonly called “the dome
of Milan” on account of its Gothicstyle pinnacles and buttressed arches; and by the Puccio chapel, designed by Gino coppedè (1904),
characterized by byzantine features
Gino coppedè, Cappella Puccio, 1904
39
Project ACCESSIT
of death. the trauma of a passing
was in fact celebrated by the continuity of the social values embodied
by the deceased and his family. this
generally occurred via a precise and
detailed showing of the symbols related to the person’s work. this
trend reached its expressive acme
in that which is commonly considered the symbol of staglieno: the
tomb of the hazelnut vendor caterina campodonico (1881) by Lorenzo Orengo.
the detailed and realistic representation of the symbols of the client’s
profession and their attire – very
well exemplified by another work by
Orengo, the double tomb of the
spouses benjamin whitehead and
40
Julia bentley (1885–87) – broadly
confirmed an analytical and descriptive capacity deriving from portrait photography, which determined the definite shift away from
the dignified and solemn models of
the classical-style commemorative
sculptures. however, the popular
depictions of family grieving around
the death bed of their beloved one
(tomb of carlo raggio, by augusto
rivalta, 1872) or scenes of spontaneous immediacy (tomb of carlo
Pescia, by Orengo, 1897) were replaced, towards the end of the 19th
century, with other models interpreting death. with the intensification of the symbolistic and decadent characteristics, this event was
and ancient egyptian iconography.
From the very beginning the main
clients were no longer from the aristocratic class that had ruled the city
until then, but the dynamic and ambitious upper-class that had a primary role in Genoa’s economic and
cultural rebirth between the 19th and
20th century. although this rising social class was not immediately able
to develop its own expressive language and preferred to thus adopt
consolidated subjects from the classical or romantic trends, it soon imposed its personal symbolic image
inventory of death by employing the
iconographic themes of the upperclass realism. after the debut of the
neo-classical style – in which the
sculptors santo Varni, Gio battista
isola, and Giuseppe Gaggini excelled – the emerging “verismo”
trends changed the ideological models of the upper class and led to a
new constitutive order in the theme
Lorenzo Orengo, Tomba dei coniugi
Whitehead e Bentley, 1885-1887
augusto rivalta, Tomba Carlo Raggio,
1872
41
Project ACCESSIT
42
no longer experienced and resolved within a collective dimension, but came to be assumed as
an act of the individual’s consciousness, therefore free from
the confidence that came from belonging to a specific class. the
phenomenon of “looking at death”,
initially experienced as the radicalization of the realistic approach
(tombs of camilla Pignone-avanzini, by Giuseppe benetti, 1867, and
Pienovi, by Giovanni battista Villa,
1879), indeed determined a ever
greater people’s awareness regarding death and the violent detachment from life. bearing witness
to the definite shift away from the
positivist certainties that had
shaped the 19th century conception
of death is the disturbing image of
the androgynous angel on the tomb
of Francesco Oneto, by Giulio Monteverde (1882).
the spreading of this iconographic
theme throughout the world was
due to the emigration from Liguria
and the consequent exportation of
artistic models.
the subsequent step, within the art
nouveau style, was embodied by
the themes of “lovely death” or
“young death”: expressed in a more
delicate symbolist interpretation in
the monuments designed by
Leonardo bistolfi (bauer tomb,
1902-1904 and Orsini tomb, 18891907) or expressed in a more direct
manner, as in the tomb of Maria
Francesca delmas, by Luigi Orengo
(1909), for a young bride who perished in an car accident.
death was later represented by
even more tragic themes, such as
Giulio Monteverde, Tomba Francesco
Oneto. Particolare, 1882
edoardo de albertis, Tomba Ammirato,
1917
the inconsolable mother depicted on
the tomb of berte Grosso bonnin
(1921), by eugenio baroni, also author of another grieving funerary
monument characterized by the maternity theme (tomb Moltini sciutto,
1922). with the gradual shifting towards the art deco style, this antidecorative trend was however replaced with an increasingly evident
synthesis of shapes and volumes.
this affected, for example, the original design of the ammirato tomb by
edoardo de albertis (1917) and the
simplified archaism of the tortelli
stele by Guido Micheletti (1933)
and of the inga tomb by Luigi Venzano (1933).
the “novecento” style monumentalism – enhanced by a specific
classical design in the Germani
tomb, by Guido Galletti (1939) –
was also fundamental for the revival of distinctly-realist depictions.
this trend was only partially subdued by the renewal climate during
the postwar period in the field of funerary sculpture; which was influenced, in 1942, by the rationalist
design of the dagna Monument, by
edoardo alfieri. externally, this
tomb presents itself as a simple
parallelepipe, on both sides by
long bas-reliefs.
43
Project ACCESSIT
Piazza della Vittoria and the urban planning of the Bisagno river plain
44 6. PIaZZa deLLa vITTorIa and The urban
PLannInG oF The bISaGno rIver PLaIn
45
Gianni Franzone
the construction of the plaza was
part of a broader Town Plan for the
Central Zones (1932) and was the
most important architectural project carried out in the city during the
Fascist period.
the overall project concerned not
only the area today occupied by
the plaza, subject to military servitude until 1910, but also Piazza
Verdi, which had become important after the inauguration of brig-
Piazza della Vittoria in costruzione, 1934 circa, centro docsai, Genova
nole train station in 1905, and the
the river bisagno’s estuary, the
covering of which was approved by
the city in 1919. the area was
strategic within the urban context,
in consideration of the expansion
of the city towards the bisagno valley and eastwards. in 1923, the
city opened two national competitions. One for the urban planning of
the bisagno river plain (5 april) and
the other for the construction of a
triumphal arch dedicated to the heroes of world war i (9 May). both
were won by an architect from
rome, Marcello Piacentini. however, this immediately triggered heated debates throughout the city.
the judging committee for the arch
comprised the sculptor Leonardo
bistolfi, the art critic Ugo Ojetti,
and Mario Labò (responsible for
the city Office for Fine arts). they
were not able to choose a project
and therefore called for a second
evaluation of three, to be made by
February 1924, deeming they
needed to study them more com-
prehensively. these projects were
Beatissimi Voi, by Marcello Piacentini and the sculptor arturo
dazzi; Diana, by the architect from
rome alessandro Limongelli and
Giovanni Prini from Genoa; and
San Giorgio, by the architect from
Modena Giuseppe Mazzoni, with
the collaboration of edoardo de
albertis, Francesco Messina, and
Guido Galletti. the committee had
to resign on account of a controversy generated by Ojetti’s article
published in the “corriere della
sera” on 9 February, 1924. the article announced ahead of time the
committee’s decision and furthermore contained negative opinions
on local entrepreneurs and constructors. a new committee was
therefore appointed and Piacentini’s project was chosen. in 18
april, 1925, Piacentini was officially entrusted with the construction
of the arch, which was begun in
1927 and finished in 1931. For the
final version of the monument, inspired by classical roman archi-
Marcello Piacentini (in collaborazione con a. dazzi, e. de albertis e G. Prini), Arco ai
Caduti, 1923-1931
Project ACCESSIT
46 tecture, dazzi realized friezes with
war scenes for the four upper
sides and the eight statues inserted in the two long sides. de albertis and Prini worked on the lavish
decorative embellishments. the
other eight sculptures on the east
and west sides and the crucifix on
the altar of the crypt are works of
the former. the latter produced the
two large, internal lunettes, which
he decorated with farming and industrial scenes. Prini also created
for the crypt six reliefs, the city
emblem, and a st. George.
the process leading to the urban
planning of the bisagno river plain
was far more complex and challenging, also due to the economic
and financial interests involved.
the local newspaper “corriere
Mercantile” took advantage of the
controversies that had developed
and in February 1924 published a
“counter-competition” with the
clear intent to discredit the credibility and authoritativeness of the
one opened by the city. the prize
established was fifty-thousand lira
and the jury comprised a prestigious member, the architect Gaetano Moretti. the contenders
were 46 and their projects were
displayed inside the teatro carlo
Felice. Piacentini also participated, although outside of the competition, with a revised version of
the project he had submitted for
the city competition. in particular,
the new version provided that the
residential area be developed
around Piazza Francia (the present-day Piazza della Vittoria) instead of Piazza Verdi. the winning project was Michele Fenati’s,
the second prize went to Piero
barbieri and Francesco Ghiara,
and the third to amedeo calcaprina. two years later Piacentini further revised his project, which
was given the name La Grande
Genova. Il Foro littorio, in line with
the conception of the ‘extended’
municipality, as ordered by Mussolini in 14 January, 1926. in
1928, the Podestà eugenio broccardi appointed a new committee
(encompassing riccardo haupt,
Ghino Venturi, and Piero Portaluppi), which was to approve the
layout plan of the plaza. this was
the next step, after covering the
river bisagno (the works were
carried out by the Garbarino and
sciaccluga company, 1928-30).
the committee only drew up a
few general guidelines: the construction works were to be limited
to Piazza della Vittoria, while Piazza Verdi was to house only gardens. this was in accordance
with some aspects of the project
Piacentini submitted in 1926. it
was decided that the volumetric
plan of the plaza consist of three
buildings on each of the long
sides and a single building at the
end (theater or Palazzo Littorio).
Furthermore, the buildings were
to have a monumental appearance and be clad with noble materials. Lastly, all the buildings
were to be connected by an uninterrupted colonnade.
Piazza della Vittoria, lato a ponente: Palazzo Società Nafta (P. Fossati con c.
Ginatta,1929-1934), Palazzi Jacazio (b. bellati con G. dazzi, 1935-1937) e Palazzo
della Cassa di Risparmio (b. bellati, 1938-1939)
47
Project ACCESSIT
48
beniamino bellati, Palazzo Jacazio, 1935 circa, wolfsoniana, Genova
in 1929, the city council approved
the project for the construction of
the Palazzo nafta, which would
house the offices of the homonymous fuel company, on the northwest corner of the plaza. Planned
by Paolo Fossati and cristoforo
Ginatta and completed in 1934, it
was the first building to be constructed. it features elements still
inspired by the local palaces in
mannerist style (above all Galeazzo aless’s buildings). the subsequent steps that were to lead to
beniamino bellati, Raccordo coperto tra palazzo Nafta e palazzo Jacazio, 1935 circa,
wolfsoniana, Genova
the final definition of the plaza
were the approval of the Urban
Plan for the City Center in 1932
(the building at the far end of the
plaza was eliminated, while the
ones on the long sides were raised
from three to four); the adoption
two years later on behalf of the
city council of the Building and Architectural Norms for the Construction of Piazza della Vittoria;
and, lastly, the appointment of Piacentini as consultant for the city
building committee (he basically
directed the works).
the Palazzo dell’istituto nazionale
Fascista di Previdenza sociale
(the current inPs building), which
he planned, was constructed on
the north-east corner between
1936 and 1938.
austere and sober, it was designed in a classical and monumental style that drew from the
grandiosity of roman architecture,
which Piacentini had fine-tuned
with his project for Piazza della Vittoria, in brescia. the simple yet elegant travertine facing made any
decoration redundant (with the exclusion of the winged Victories on
the corner, realized by nanni
servettaz) and became a model
for the other edifices. symmetrically arranged and linked by a deep
colonnade, despite they were
planned by different architects, the
other buildings all share the same
monumental appearance, the balance between solids and voids,
the prevailing of geometric volumes, and the total lack of decorations.
On the west side, the two central
buildings were planned by beniamino bellati and Giovanni dazzi
and constructed by the Ugo Jacazio company. the cassa di
risparmio building was also designed by bellati.
On the east side, the two central
buildings were constructed by the
alfredo Fineschi, sistemazione zona sud di piazza della Vittoria. Genova. Progetto di
scalea giardino sull’asse del Monumento ai Caduti, 1935, wolfsoniana, Genova
49
Project ACCESSIT
50 Garbarino and sciaccaluga compa-
ny, according to plans developed
by Piacentini and aldo camposampiero. the last building was
planned by Giuseppe tallero for the
amleto angiolini company (1939).
as for the short sides of the plaza,
the north side opens onto Piazza
Verdi and brignole station, and the
south side is closed by a verdant
slope that rises to the Mura delle
capuccine.
the original project by the architect alfredo Fineschi was simplified while works were in progress.
the central water fall designed to
come down from a tall, beaconfountain was eliminated; and the
lateral arched wings (originally designed to be made of trimmed
hedges) were replaced by equivalent volumes in masonry, covered
with climbing plants.
two buildings stand on the south
side of the plaza. at the east end
is the severe Palazzo della Questura (Fineschi, 1935-37); and at
the west end is the building which
houses the Liceo andrea doria,
planned during those same years
by carlo canella, who drew from
Piacentini’s style.
Piazza della Vittoria, veduta della scalea
51
Piazza Dante
Project ACCESSIT
52 7. PIaZZa danTe
53
Matteo Fochessati
the project to give a monumental
appearance to the city center was
made implementable immediately
after the approval of the plan for
“Grande Genova” (1928). it was inspired by the propaganda politics
of the Fascist regime and had its
highest point in the 1930s, when
the plan to renew the area of Piazza dante was approved.
the competition for the Town Plan
for the Central Areas, announced
in February 1930, was won in august 1931 by the Janua group,
which consisted of Giulio Zappa
and aldo Viale. the latter was an
office manager at the city hall and
in charge of the town planning procedures, which sparked complaints
on behalf of the Griffini, bottoni,
and Pucci group from Milan. however, Viale and Zappa drew up
their final plan in January 1932.
the works on the modern busi-
ness center in the heart of Genoa
began in 1934 and ended in 1940.
they entailed the demolition of the
rundown Morcento quarter, which
was leveled, and of the Ponticello
area, which had been home to the
medieval burg of the Lanaioli (wool
workers). the work carried out is
documented by the drawings commissioned to some local artists
(Mazzoni, Pennasilico, bifoli,
Verzetti, and Gambetti) by Orlando
Grosso, director of the Fine arts
city Office. this urban renewal
project, sponsored by the Fascist
regime with representative purposes, determined major demolition
work, which carried on during the
post war period and extended to
the sea side of the city. consequently, the medieval quarter of Via
Madre di dio was razed. the business center centro dei Liguri
(1972-1980), which consists of two
Il Grattacielo Nord, cartolina, centro docsai, Genova
Piazza Dante, cartolina, centro docsai, Genova
structures – one on the east side,
planned by Marco dasso and Giovanni bruzzone and the other,
which closed Piazza dante on the
sea side, planned by Franco albini
and Franca helg – turned out to be
an obsolete development project.
this was especially proven by the
conception of the green areas,
which were intended for people to
gather in, but eventually have become neglected and separated
from the urban fabric.
the detailed plan drawn up by
Zappa and Viale had lost its original historicist characteristics in favor of a distinct rationalist design.
robaldo Morozzo della rocca also
contributed to this project (1932).
his plan for the construction of four
skyscrapers was modified by Marcello Piacentini, who had been appointed consultant for the detailed
plan for the area. Piacentini’s
changes resulted in the reduction
of the number of skyscrapers, from
four to two.
in this period Piacentini developed
his own conformity to the modern
rationalist principles and was
therefore appointed manager of
the entire general urban renewal
plan for the area. Furthermore, he
benefitted from the recommendation of the mayor, carlo bombrini,
to the engineer angelo invernizzi to
entrust him with the project for the
construction of the Grattacielo sud.
client as well as supervisor of the
building’s structural plan, invernizzi
too, in his work as a planner and
constructor, had completely conformed in this period to the functionalist culture. this is clearly
shown by the very modern and urban, spiral layout of the parking facility – the first to be constructed in
italy – of the building in Via Montevideo, 12 (1926); by the severe appearance of the apartment building
of Via nizza, 12 (jointly planned
with ettore Fagioli, 1933); and especially by the construction of the
villa “il Girasole”, in Marcellise
(1935). the rotating mechanism of
this house was not only inspired by
the futurist and constructivist
movement, but also testified a total
accord with the machine utopia of
Le corbusier; who, in his publicaItineraries of the accessible heritage
Piazza Dante
Project ACCESSIT
54 tion Vers un’architecture (1923),
claimed that a house should be
constructed like a “machine à
habiter”.
due to its planned location, across
from the massive structure of the
Grattacielo nord, designed by Giuseppe rosso (1935–37), Piacentini
used the same modernist, visiona-
ry approach as rosso in designing
his skycraper. he was influenced
by the futurist architectural culture
as well as by renzo Picasso’s
utopian architectural fascinations.
Picasso was then involved in a series of studies which envisioned
modifying Genoa’s urban features
to match the skyline of new york.
Giuseppe rosso, Grattacielo Nord, 1935-1937
this passionate interest in american skyscrapers was shared by the
city government and by the local
entrepreneurial class, and spread
throughout the architectural field.
this is testified by an unfinished
project by Luigi carlo daneri for a
steel-structure skyscraper to be
constructed on Piazza dante and
by the concept of the Grattacielo
sud, characterized by a stepped
structure that tapers towards the
summit, recalling one of the most
typical american art deco features.
still the second tallest in italy (the
tallest being the “Pirellone” in Milan), Piacentini’s skyscraper also
had advanced technological fea-
Marcello Piacentini, angelo invernizzi, Grattacielo Sud, 1935-1937
55
Piazza Dante
Project ACCESSIT
“stile Futurista”, of which rosso
was one of the contributors. but
rosso also worked with Fillia and
Prampolini in 1934 to organize the
First national “Plastica Murale” exhibition, held at Palazzo ducale.
the Galleria colombo, designed
by tomaso badano and Giulio
56
Zappa (1934), was planned as a
passageway to connect the two
skyscrapers. this gallery was designed as a perspective backdrop
enhanced by the chromatic con-
trast between the black marble and
the white frame of the barrel vault,
which supports the three plasters
of the upper arches. the tall and
slender yet compact structure of
Giuseppe crosa di Vergagni, Palazzo Terzano, 1937-1938
Dettaglio architettonico del Grattacielo
Sud, 1937, wolfsoniana, Genova
tures. its monumental appearance
was made more evident by the
choice of materials (red clinker and
white marble to create a striped
pattern) and the facade layout,
which features a white, protruding,
porticoed portion. the metaphysical and “novecento” character of
the squared partitioning of the lower facade was further emphasized
by the relief decorations by Guido
Galletti, depicting christopher
columbus and the balilla on the
background of the ancient city
gate, Porta soprana.
the Grattacielo nord, designed by
rosso, is lower (78 m) than Piacentini’s, and for this reason rosso
attempted to sue invernizzi in
1939. it is a seven-storey building
with a porticoed base and a 14-storey tower. its dynamic, vertical extension and the audacious suspended passageways at the back
render its design clearly futurist.
the project for the edifice was published in 1935 in the magazine
57
Project ACCESSIT
Piazza Dante
58 Palazzo terzano, designed by
59
Giuseppe crosa di Vergagni
(1937–38) is part of this connecting
space. the design of Palazzo
terzano is a blend of the “novecento” and art deco style with the
emerging rationalist trends.
standing across from each other
on the opposite side of the plaza
are Palazzo ina, designed by Gino cipriani (1939) and Palazzo
Gaslini, designed by aldo Zuccarelli (1938). in the project developed by Morozzo della rocca,
these two buildings should have
had the same vertical volume as
the other two skyscrapers mentioned. the first is defined by the
chromatic contrast of the red
clinker and white marble frames
and by the cubic structures and
terraces on different levels. the
short tower topped by a wide,
white pergola seems to hint at its
originally planned height. its
curved profile instead harmonizes
with that of the building across
from it, whose curved lower portion was determined by the adjustment of a street that was to
enter an underground gallery to
be constructed under the ancient
defensive walls. the non-completion of this project too may have
contributed to the unresolved appearance of the area, made irregular not so much by the diverse
features of the buildings as by the
poor connection between the
plaza and the streets. this logistic
issue has not yet been solved, despite the solutions suggested by a
few recent urban plans to rearrange the layout of the area.
Gino cipriani, Palazzo INA, 1939
Piazza de Ferrari: “the Plaza of Genoese”
Project ACCESSIT
60 8. PIaZZa de FerrarI: “The PLaZa oF GenoeSe”
61
Gianni Franzone
the process that led to the current
layout of Piazza de Ferrari was long
and challenging. it was defined as “a
plaza with no peace” precisely on
account of the many transformations it underwent, but at the same
time as “the plaza of the Genoese”,
meaning the representative and
symbolic place of the modern city.
because this “square that is not a
square”, conceived and laid out as
a large metropolitan intersection,
has always been the site of buildings and events that have made the
history of Genoa. in 1875 it was given the name of Marquis raffaele de
Ferrari, whose generous donation
had made the enlargement of the
port possible. the stock-exchange
was then transferred to the building
on the east side. it is an opulent and
somewhat arrogant edifice, inaugurated in 1912, which was meant to
mark the city’s ambitious financial
and industrial turning point. the
plaza also witnessed the parade of
German troupes, defeated after
signing the act of surrender with the
national Liberation committee; and
the insurrection of the citizens of
Genoa on 30 June, 1960, against
the decision to host the congress of
the Movimento sociale italiano, an
italian neo-fascist and post-fascist
political party: the city had received
a medal of honor for fighting against
the German occupation, hence the
protest of its citizens. Furthermore,
the demonstrators partaking in the
major strikes of the 1970 filed
Giuseppe Mazzoni, I festeggiamenti di Genova alla Brigata Salerno di ritorno dalla
Francia. La folla in piazza De Ferrari, 1919, the Mitchell wolfson Jr. Private collection,
Genoa-Miami in comodato presso wolfsoniana, Genova
Luigi Garibbo, Il cantiere di demolizione della chiesa e del convento di San Domenico,
1825, centro docsai, Genova
through the plaza, as did the funeral
procession of the trade-unionist Guido rossa, on 27 January, 1979, emblem of the workers revolt against
the terrorist actions of the brigate
rosse.
the tormented process that pro-
duced the current layout of the plaza
began in the third decade of the 19thcentury. as a consequence of the
congress of Vienna (1815), which
had definitely deprived the republic
of Genoa of its independence and
had annexed it to the Kingdom of
carlo barabino, Teatro Carlo Felice. Progetto non definitivo della facciata verso piazza
San Domenico, s.d. (1825), centro docsai, Genova
Project ACCESSIT
62 Piedmont and sardinia, the house of
savoy commissioned the construction of some public buildings: the city
library, the academy of Fine arts, and
the opera theater. the site chosen
was Piazza san domenico. thus the
teatro carlo Felice and the accademia Ligustica were constructed after
the demolition of the 13th century convent complex that stood there (only a
few works of art from this building
have survived and are displayed in
the city museums). the two buildings
were designed by the architect carlo
barabino in a severe and elegant
neoclassical style.
inaugurated in 1828, the theater
was seriously damaged during the
bombings of 1942-43 and was torn
down at the end of the war, with the
exception of the pronaos and the
portico on both sides. after a few unsuccessful attempts (in 1949 the first
competition for a reconstruction
project was opened and in the period 1963-77 the project was entrusted directly to carlo scarpa) and
endless controversies, a competitive-tender was announced in 1981
and won by the group encompassing aldo rossi, ignazio Gardella,
Fabio reinhart, and angelo sibilla.
the building constructed between
1987 and 1991 now presents three
Piazza Raffaele de Ferrari, veduta del lato nord
different volumes: the pronaos (restored along with the original portico
designed by barabino), the theater
reconstructed according to its original plan, and the tower, which is the
true new element of the edifice. it
stands out, sturdy and imposing, in
the city skyline.
the building of the accademia was
constructed between 1826 and
1831. it was initially conceived to
house barracks, but eventually became the home of the accademia
Ligustica di belle arti, established
in 1751, and of the berio Library,
with a view to turn the plaza into the
city’s representative and cultural
center. the interior of the building is
especially interesting, with the
large, octagonal atrium and the
63
augusto rivalta, Monumento a Giuseppe
Garibaldi in largo Pertini, 1893
augusto rivalta, Bozzetto per il
monumento a Giuseppe Garibaldi, 1893,
istituto Mazziniano-Museo del
risorgimento, Genova
Project ACCESSIT
64
65
Giuseppe crosa di Vergagni, Progetto per la fontana di piazza De Ferrari, 1934,
wolfsoniana, Genova
Piazza Raffaele de Ferrari, veduta dei lati sud e ovest
dario carbone, Palazzo della Borsa
Nuova, 1912
complex arrangement of the flights
of cantilevered stairs. however, its
original grandness has in part been
lost on account of later alterations.
in particular, the so-called “rotonda”
was demolished. this domed hall
was visually connected to the grand
staircase. Visible from the atrium,
through a a large arch, was the
bas-relief frieze that ran around the
base of the dome. this decoration
depicted the Triumph of Marcellus,
designed by Giuseppe Gaggini and
realized by santo Varni, a young
pupil of the former. besides being
the home of the prestigious institution, today the building also houses
the academy museum. the museum offers a sort of exemplary anthology of the artistic production
throughout the region, with paintings dating from the 15th century to
contemporary works.
the city opened a competition in
1889 for a monument to Giuseppe
Garibaldi, won by the sculptor auItineraries of the accessible heritage
Project ACCESSIT
66 gusto rivalta. an equestrian statue
of the national hero, protagonist of
the risorgimento, was thus installed
on the plaza in 1893. Garibaldi is depicted in an unswervingly realistic
manner. he is calm and preoccupied, a depiction that is far from the
celebratory rhetoric. this was one of
the four statues that the city, which
had claimed for itself the role of the
“adoptive hometown of the Leader
of the One-thousand”, dedicated to
Garibaldi. in 1905 another monument realized by rivalta was installed in Piazza del Monastero, at
sampierdarena. in 1908 Luigi Orengo carved from marble the one in
Pegli; and on 5 May, 1915, the large
group sculpture by eugenio baroni
was inaugurated in Quarto.
with a project approved in 1897, the
construction of Via XX settembre
accelerated the completion of the
plaza. the enlargement of the plaza
Palazzo Ducale, particolare della facciata neoclassica di Simone Cantoni con
l’ingresso da piazza Matteotti
to the east and south was decided
after the excavation of the hill of
sant’andrea (1904) and the construction of the new stock-exchange
building (1907-12). this building had
been designed in the eclectic style
by dario carbone, who involved
adolfo coppedè, known for his ability to render scenographic architectural effects. the project continued
with the construction of the porticoes
along the first stretch of Via dante
and the buildings next to the church
of santi ambrogio e andrea. the
development of the south side
called for a new balance between
the volumes of the credito italiano
building (designed by Giuseppe
tallero and finished in 1914) and the
bare lateral wall of the church of the
Jesuits. cesare Gamba, planner of
Via XX settembre, purchased the lot
in 1908 and presented the first project for the construction of the building in 1912, which was rejected by
the city building committee. the final project was approved in 1924,
when the construction work had already been mostly completed and
the building purchased by the company navigazione Generale italiana.
the building, which still shows an
eclectic style, was later purchased
by Fondiaria assicurazioni; and in
2003, after undergoing challenging
restoration work, it became the head
quarters of the regione Liguria.
although the fountain was the focal
point of the plaza, it was the last
structure to be completed. designed
by Giuseppe crosa di Vergagni and
inaugurated on 24 May, 1936, it was
donated by the industrialists Piaggio. it reflects Vergagni’s “novecento-style” trend in those years, but it
is also a slightly-belated homage to
the “frozen-fountain” theme, one of
the most recurring in the iconographic repertoire of the international art deco style.
in 2001, in view of the G8 summit,
the plaza underwent a final transformation. in order to pedestrianize
at least part of it, the German architect and urbanist bernhard winkler
designed semicircular steps leading into Palazzo ducale, the ancient seat of the local government
and now the city’s cultural venue.
winkler also made changes in the
design of the fountain. the modifications to make it more scenographic, however, altered the original design, which implied that the
basin be cast as a single piece.
67
Project ACCESSIT
The Castello Mackenzie and the spreading of Eclecticism in Genoa between 19th and 20th century
68 9. The caSTeLLo MackenZIe by GIno coPPedè
and The SPreadInG oF ecLecTIcISM In Genoa
beTween The 19Th and 20Th cenTury
69
Matteo Fochessati
the castello Mackenzie is unanimously considered one of the
most significant and emblematic
examples of the eclectic and historicist culture in italy from the period between the 19th and 20th
century. it was the first project developed by Gino coppedè, and
an endless source of inspiration
for all those he subsequently designed. the castello Mackenzie
has always been deemed his
Gino coppedè, Castello Mackenzie, 1896-1906
carlo coppedè, Gino Coppedè che mostra il progetto del castello a Evan Mackenzie e
il cantiere dell’edificio in costruzione, dipinto murale nello scalone principale, castello
Mackenzie, 1909, wolfsoniana, Genova
masterpiece. the construction of
the turreted castle on the hill that
overlooks Piazza Manin was
commissioned to the young architect by the scottish insurance en-
trepreneur evan Mackenzie
shortly after they met in Florence.
they met at the end of the 19th
century at the workshop of the
sculptor and antique dealer
Project ACCESSIT
70 Pasquale romanelli; in other
words, in the perfect place for the
beginning of an artistic partnership between two personalities
who shared the passion for the
aesthetic and cultural models of
an idealized “Florentine style”.
the wealthy entrepreneur of anglo-saxon origins cultivated a
profound love for medieval and
renaissance art, especially tuscan art. in point of fact, his collections show his fascination with all
that was Florentine (as demonstrated by his famous collection
of dante’s works, donated to the
berio Library of Genoa in 1939 by
his daughter isa de thierry), but
also with the modern interpretations of italy’s illustrious artistic
past, such as those developed by
ruskin and the Pre-raphaelite
painters.
Gino coppedè was the son of
Mariano coppedè who had
founded, in 1875, a workshop
specialized in furniture and cabinet making in Florence. ten years
later it was given the name “La
casa artistica”. Gino soon took
the reins of the family business,
in which his brothers (carlo,
M. Graziani, F.M. Parodi, a. allegro, M.a. crotta, Castello D’Albertis, ora sede del Museo
delle culture del mondo, 1886-1892
71
edoardo de albertis, Il viandante e la fonte, castello Mackenzie, 1901
painter; and adolfo, architect)
were also involved. their success
derived from a style which blended the tuscan craftwork tradition
with a personal interpretation of
the emerging modernist design
trends.
the castello Mackenzie is the result of a complex restyling project
to modify a 16th century villa. the
architect transformed the original
structure by constructing towers,
crenellated walls, drawbridges,
sentry boxes, terraces, courtyards, and artificial grottoes. the
project for castello Mackenzie,
built between the 19th and 20th
century, was developed in a period in which the historicist architectural style had spread throughout italy and especially in Genoa.
in fact, another eclectic architectural project had been brought to
fruition a few years earlier:
castello d’albertis, built between
1886 and 1892 on the summit of
Monte Galletto. captain enrico
d’albertis had commissioned the
project to the engineers Matteo
Graziani and Francesco M. ParoItineraries of the accessible heritage
Project ACCESSIT
72
Gino coppedè, Castello Türcke a
Boccadasse, 1903
Mackenzie, this masterpiece
combined coppedè’s talent for effortlessly blending styles and
decorations from the past (when
the castle was finished he commented, “it was an enjoyable
pastime”) and elements of the
emerging art nouveau trends.
this is demonstrated by the secessionist-style mosaic on the facade, created by the società Musiva di Venezia; and by the
marble bas-relief in one of the
rooms, Il Viandante e la Fonte,
reminiscent of Leonardo bistolfi’s
works, carved by the local sculptor edoardo de albertis in 1901.
the decorations of the castle
were the fruit of a free interpretation of revival trends – a talent
which all the members of the
coppedè workshop had in com-
Gino coppedè, Castello Mackenzie. Ingresso e scalone principali su via C.Cabella
di, the sculptor agostino allegro,
and the architect Marco aurelio
crotta, who had planned the imposing Palazzo Odero (1899), a
residential building situated in Via
Odino, defined by a long gallery
on the upper façade.
the Portuguese architect and
painter alfredo de andrade was
supervisor of the large planning
team that worked on the fairy-tale
residence of the eccentric travelItineraries of the accessible heritage
er and collector, today home to
the Museo delle culture del mondo. de andrade had planned a
picturesque medieval village for
the Parco del Valentino, for the
turin expo in 1884, and was the
author of the project for the
restoration of Palazzo san Giorgio (1899), which today houses
the offices of the city’s Port authority.
Going back to the castello
Gino coppedè, Palazzo Bogliolo in corso Firenze, 1906
73
Project ACCESSIT
74 mon – and also reflected the cultural leanings of the owner. as
mentioned, Mackenzie was a
keen collector and especially
fond of tuscan craftwork, although he was attracted by classical works as well. bearing witness to his tastes are the copies
of famous ancient statues inside
the castle and in the grottoes,
and the numerous archeological
finds placed in the courtyards and
on the terraces.
the castello Mackenzie helped
launch coppedè’s future projects,
which not only included some important turreted buildings in Genoa
– the castello türcke at boccadasse (1903), the castello bruzzo in castelletto (1906–10), and
75
Gino coppedè, Hotel Miramare, 1906-1908
Villa canali-Gaslini in corso italia
(1922–24) – but also 15th centurystyle buildings; such as Palazzo
bogliolo, in corso Firenze (1906),
and Palazzo Zuccarino, in Via
Maragliano (1906–07). the facade
design and rich sculptural decorations of the former was defined by
a blend of historicist and Jugendstil
motifs. the latter instead revealed
a mannerist imprint, which can also
be seen in an exotic monumentalist version in Palazzo Pastorino
(1906), built near the Ponte Monumentale, in Via XX settembre.
all of coppedè’s works reveal an
aptitude for exterior design. this
was especially important for his
restyling project for the Miramare
hotel (1906–08), planned by the
swiss architect bringolf. this work
marked
the
beginning
of
coppedè’s interest in a vision of
architecture on an urban scale;
which he was able to experiment
with when he planned the layout of
the pavilions of the Esposizione Internazionale di Marina e Igiene
Marinara, held in 1914 in Genoa,
on the large open area in front of
brignole train station. he later had
the opportunity to put his ideas on
urban projects into practice when
he was entrusted by the “società
anonima cooperativa edilizia
Moderna” to plan a new quarter in
rome, around Piazza Mincio,
which was finished in 1927.
Gino coppedè, Particolare della facciata di Palazzo Zuccarino in via Maragliano, 19061907
Project ACCESSIT
From the Porto Antico to the marittime stations
76 10. FroM The PorTo anTIco
To The MarITIMe STaTIonS
77
Gianni Franzone
Few areas of the city have undergone such radical transformations
over the past decades as the one
everyone knows as Porto antico.
these changes were set off by
three events held in Genoa beginning in the early 1990s: the international columbus exhibition in 1992,
to celebrate the 500th anniversary of
the discovery of america, the G8
summit in 2001, and the year in
which Genoa was one of the european capitals of culture (2004).
three political and cultural events
(the one in 2001 was also saddened
by tragic episodes and unheard-of
violence) for which ephemeral projects were developed, but which also
left tangible traces in the urban fabric of the historic center and affected
the habits of those who frequent it.
First and foremost because with the
Porto Antico, veduta notturna della Piazza delle Feste
Gli ex Magazzini del Cotone dopo il recupero di Renzo Piano (1992)
urban renewal plan for the Porto antico, begun in the second half of the
1980s in anticipation of the exhibition dedicated to the illustrious navigator, the historic center regained
its natural view over the sea. this
had been long hindered by the customs barrier, which had interrupted
the connection between the city’s
ancient nucleus and one of its fundamental areas: the harbor. thus,
the anomaly of a city on the sea
lacking access to the sea was also
solved.
the challenging project developed
by the architect renzo Piano, native
of Genoa, and his team consisted in
the restoration of most of the buildings constructed over the centuries
around the original port and that
had always housed port-related activities. this project coincided with
the conversion and updating of
these buildings to suit the city’s new
social and economic context at the
dawn of the 21st century. the ancient sea-front city gate known as
Porta del Molo or Porta siberia, deItineraries of the accessible heritage
Project ACCESSIT
Bigo. the latter is an original reinterpretation of a post crane, supported
by a circular platform installed in the
water and having eight arms. the
larger of these arms holds the steel
cables of a panoramic elevator,
while other two support the innovative covering that extends over Piazza delle Feste. renzo Piano,
jointly with Peter chermayeff, also
designed the building on the adjacent Ponte spinola that would become the home of Genoa’s spectacular aquarium, the largest in
europe and the most popular
tourist attraction in the city.
the renewed Porto antico now
“communicates” with Palazzo san
Giorgio and Piazza caricamento.
the former housed the banco di
san Giorgio and is now property of
the consorzio autonomo del Porto.
restored in 1992 for the columbus
exhibition, its facade was decorated
by Lazzaro tavarone between 1606
and 1608 and by Ludovico
Pogliaghi in 1912. a monument to
ship owner raffaele rubattino
(1893), by the sculptor augusto rivalta, stands on the Piazza.
78
renzo Piano, Bigo, 1992
signed by Galeazzo alessi in 1550,
was converted in 2001 to house the
Museo emanuele Luzzati, devoted
to the famous stage designer and illustrator born in Genoa. the Magazzini del cotone, originally a group
of warehouses, became venues for
congresses, merchandizing and entertainment events, play (such as
those organized by the città dei
bambini e dei ragazzi), and trade
fairs. these former warehouses also house important cultural institutions, such as an international children’s library, the biblioteca
edmondo de amicis. the 17th cen-
tury buildings of the ancient freeport (which survived the 1960s
demolitions, carried out when the
elevated highway was constructed)
and the 19th century Palazzo Millo
underwent similar conversions, as
they are now home to the Museo
nazionale dell’antartide and the recent Genoa Museum, which recounts the history of the local football club. characterizing the
recovered spaces are renzo Piano’s glass and stainless steel Biosfera (commonly called the “bubble”), added in 2001 to house a
botanical tropical garden, and the
Palazzo San Giorgio, sede del Consorzio Autonomo del Porto
79
Project ACCESSIT
80 the renewal of the Porto antico
naturally led to the restoration and
urban planning of the port area,
which extends westward up to the
maritime stations (darsena). the
projects relevant to the ponti calvi
and Morosini were developed by
Piero Gambacciani and implied
the construction of the hotel nh
Marina (formerly Jolly Marina), of
residential and office buildings,
and of the Marina Porto antico.
the cembalo quarter was reconverted to a residential area according to plans developed by Gianluca
terragna
and
claudio
cicconetti. the latter designed the
final project (1997-1999); and
Francesca de Vita, emanuela Patrocchi, roberto rasore, and claudia Pigionati (studio deltaPi associati, 1999) the executive projects.
after an international competition
opened in 2000 and won by the
catalan
architect
Guillermo
Vázquez consuegra, the Galata
quarter became home to the new
Museo del Mare (2004), and the
adjacent scio quarter to the
school of economics and business administration (aldo L. rizzo,
1991-1996). enrico d. bona and
his firm drew up the definite plans
for the restoration of the caffa,
Guillermo Vázquez consuegra, Galata Museo del Mare, 2000-2004
81
Ludovico biondi, Stazione Marittima di Ponte dei Mille, 1930
Metelino, and tabarca quarters.
situated in Metelino is the casa
della Musica, built according to a
project developed by emanuela
Patrocchi and roberto rasore and
begun in 2002.
next to the long-abandoned hennebique grain storage bin, the destiny of which the city has not yet
decided, stands the low and long
Ponte dei Mille maritime station,
planned by the technical Office of
the consorzio autonomo del Porto. the first project was developed
by Ludovico biondi, then redesigned by Federico tornielli and
modified by ariberto albertazzi.
the ornamental embellishments
were designed by the architect alberto terenzio and Giovanni chini,
who headed the construction company entrusted with the works. the
station was inaugurated in 28 October, 1930. it is defined by an emphatic and redundant eclectic facade, which gives it a precious yet
overly-rich appearance. the interiors are just as grandiose, especial-
Project ACCESSIT
82 ly the reception areas, such as the
customs hall.
Just after becoming operational,
the berths of Ponte dei Mille proved
to be inadequate for the dimensions of the new, large ocean liners.
therefore a new maritime station
had to be built on the adjacent
Ponte andrea doria. this building
too was designed by the technical
Office of the consorzio autonomo
del Porto, and in 1931 the plans
were presented for approval to Luigi Vietti, one of the founders in
rome of the Miar (Movimento italiano per l’architettura razionale)
and at that time director of the Monuments department of Genoa. in
making his choices, the young architect favored a style that was almost antithetical to that of the other
station. the interiors were defined
by simplicity and functionality, elegance and modernity, and brightness and transparency – rendered
by the geometric volumes, soft colors, and the materials employed.
Unfortunately, not many of these
characteristics have survived. that
which the specialized press of
those times described as “one of
the most modern arrival stations for
Il salone doganale della Stazione Marittima di Ponte dei Mille
83
Luigi Vietti, Stazione Marittima di Ponte Andrea Doria, 1932 circa
ocean liners” has in fact undergone
extensive restylings over the
decades, although these have
been partially subdued by a recent
restoration project that has also
comprised the construction of the
west wing, which had never been
accomplished, and the reconstruction of the destroyed east wing
(studio Pinna Viardo, 2002-2013).
Luigi Vietti, Poltrona per la Stazione
Marittima di Ponte Andrea Doria , 1933,
wolfsoniana, Genova
vISITor InForMaTIon
1. The Parks and Museums in nervi
Museo Giannettino Luxoro, Villa Luxoro, via Mafalda di
savoia 3, tel. 010 322673, www.museidigenova.it
raccolte Frugone, Villa Grimaldi Fassio, via capolungo 9,
tel. 010 322396, www.museidigenova.it
Parchi di nervi, www.parchidinervi.it
Galleria d’arte Moderna, Villa saluzzo serra, via
capolungo 3, tel. 010 3726025, www.museidigenova.it
wolfsoniana, via serra Gropallo 4, tel. 010 3231329,
www.wolfsoniana.it
2. The Monument to the Thousand at Quarto
Monumento ai Mille, piazzale F. crispi
3. daneri’s casa Littoria and rationalist
architecture in Genoa
casa Littoria rionale “nicola bonservizi”, piazza sturla 3
chiesa di san Marcellino, via bologna 8 (san teodoro)
Ospedale pediatrico “istituto Giannina Gaslini”, via G.
Gaslini 5, tel. 010 56361, www.gaslini.org
scuola della Gioventù italiana del Littorio, ex Facoltà di
Magistero, corso Monte Grappa 39
stadio comunale del nuoto “Piscine di albaro”, piazza
h. dunant 4, tel. 010 8608775, www.piscinedialbaro.com
4. Piazza rossetti and the “Foce”
ex ristorante san Pietro, ora stazione di servizio, viale
delle brigate Partigiane 19-21
Villa della ragione, via Mainetti 2 (Quarto)
aci (automobil club italiano), viale delle brigate
Partigiane 1
case dei pescatori, via dei Pescatori 1-11
Palazzine al Lido d’albaro, corso italia 40
Quartiere ina casa, viale bernabò brea
complesso di Porta degli angeli, via buonvicini 21-39
(san teodoro)
Quartiere ina casa Forte Quezzi, via Loria,
via Modigliani, via Fea, via emery (Marassi)
casa del Mutilato, corso a. saffi 1, tel. 010 581416
(associazione nazionale Mutilati e invalidi di Guerra)
Fiera di Genova, piazzale J.F. Kennedy 1,
tel. 010 5391313, www.fiera.ge.it
5. The Staglieno cemetery
cimitero monumentale di staglieno, piazzale G.b.
resasco, www.staglieno.comune.genova.it
6. Piazza della vittoria and the urban planning
of the bisagno river plain
stazione ferroviaria brignole, piazza G. Verdi,
www.grandistazioni.it
Palazzo della Questura, via a. diaz 2
Palazzo del Liceo classico “a. d’Oria”, via a. diaz 1
7. Piazza dante
centro dei Liguri, piazza dante, via Madre di dio, corso
M. Quadrio
casa per abitazioni, via Montevideo 12
casa per abitazioni, via nizza 12
8. Piazza de Ferrari: “the Plaza of the
Genoese”
teatro carlo Felice, passo e. Montale 4, tel. 010 53811,
www.carlofelicegenova.it
Palazzo e Museo dell’accademia Ligustica di belle arti,
largo a. Pertini 4, tel. 010 560131,
www.accademialigustica.it
Monumento a Giuseppe Garibaldi, largo Pertini
Monumento a Giuseppe Garibaldi, piazza del Monastero,
sampierdarena
Monumento a Giuseppe Garibaldi, piazza Porticciolo, Pegli
Palazzo della nuova borsa, via XX settembre-via dante,
tel. 010 541811, www.palazzonuovaborsa.it
Palazzo del credito italiano, oggi Unicredit, via dante-via
F. Petrarca
Palazzo della navigazione Generale italiana, oggi sede
della regione Liguria, piazza de Ferrari 1,
www.regione.liguria.it
Palazzo ducale, ora sede di Genova Palazzo ducale
Fondazione per la cultura, piazza Matteotti 9,
tel. 010 8171600, www.palazzoducale.genova.it
9. The castello Mackenzie by Gino coppedè
and the spreading of eclecticism in Genoa
between the 19th and 20th century
castello Mackenzie, via Mura di san bartolomeo 16,
tel. 010 8395029, www.castellomackenzie.it
castello d’albertis, sede del Museo delle culture del
Mondo, corso dogali 18, tel. 010 2723820,
www.museidigenova.it
Palazzo Odero, viale G.c. Odino 6
Palazzo san Giorgio, sede del consorzio autonomo del
Porto (c.a.P.), via della Mercanzia 2, tel. 010 2411,
www.porto.genova.it
castello türcke, via capo di santa chiara 24b
(boccadasse)
castello bruzzo, via Piaggio 9
Villa canali-Gaslini, sede della Fondazione Gaslini, corso
italia 26, tel. 010 369071, www.fondazionegaslini.org
Palazzo bogliolo, corso Firenze 9
Palazzo Zuccarino, via Maragliano 2
Palazzo Pastorino, via b. bosco 57
hotel Miramare, via Pagano doria
10. From the Porto antico to the maritime
stations
Porto antico, www.portoantico.it
La città dei bambini e dei ragazzi, Magazzini del cotone,
modulo 1, 1° piano, tel. 010 2345635,
www.cittadeibambini.net
biblioteca internazionale per ragazzi edmondo de amicis,
Magazzini del cotone, modulo 1, 2° piano,
tel. 010 265237, www.bibliotechedigenova.it
Museo emanuele Luzzati a Porta siberia, area Porto
antico 6, tel. 010 2530328, www.museoluzzati.it
Genoa Museum, Palazzina san Giobatta, via al Porto
antico, www.genoacfc.it
Museo nazionale dell’antartide, edificio del Millo, calata
cattaneo, tel. 010 2470653, www.mna.it
bigo, calata cattaneo, acquario e biosfera, Ponte
spinola, tel. 010 2345678, www.acquariodigenova.it
Monumento a raffaele rubattino, piazza caricamento
hotel nh Marina e porticciolo turistico “Marina Porto
antico”, Ponte spinola e Ponte Morosini
Quartiere cembalo, calata andalò di negro
Galata Museo del Mare, calata de Mari 1,
tel. 010 2345655, www.galatamuseodelmare.it
Facoltà di economia e commercio, via a. Vivaldi 5
casa della Musica, via M. boccanegra 15,
tel. 010 4213090, www.casadellamusica.ge.it
silos granario “hennebique”, calata santa Limbania
stazione marittima di Ponte dei Mille, Ponte dei Mille, e
stazione marittima di Ponte andrea doria, Ponte andrea
doria, tel. 010 0898300,
www.stazionimarittimegenova.com
iitineraries between the LeVant and the city center
GENOVA MODERNA COP INGLESE_Layout 1 09/02/15 16:39 Pagina 1
Modern Genoa
Modern Genoa
itineraries
between the LeVant
and the citycenter

Modern genoa - Cultura in Liguria

Transcript

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