Votive wayside shrines in the old town of Genoa: discovering an ancient folkloristic tradition

Do you happen to be young adventurers who love to discover unusual places rich in history and tradition? Let yourself be surrounded by the magic of votive wayside shrines in Genoa's old town. They can be found around several corners, and characterize the squares of the old city, holding fascinating stories and fun facts that will catch your attention.

Find a map of the old town and get ready to explore the city's variety of votive shrines, among legends, traditions and a little bit of mystery. Let the beauty and magic of these authentic hidden gems surprise you.

Votive wayside shrines: a journey through time

In the heart of Genoa's old town, walking through the medieval caruggi (the typical alleys of the old town), it is not hard to come across a few votive shrines. These small altars, usually built in the walls of houses or buildings, are a tangible reminder of a tradition that is deeply rooted in the past. There are nearly three hundred shrines in the old town alone, and some of them are particularly conspicuous, while others are more contained and simple. caruggi medievali, non è difficile imbattersi in qualche edicola votiva. Questi piccoli altari, solitamente incastonati nelle pareti delle case o degli edifici, sono un ricordo tangibile di una tradizione che affonda le sue radici nel passato. Se ne contano quasi trecento solo nel perimetro del centro storico della città, alcune particolarmente appariscenti altre più contenute e lineari.

These sacred pieces are dedicated to popular devotion, and are also an expression of the work of local artists and craftsmen. This reminder of a very long tradition has the Madonna as the main subject, to whom the Genoese would turn for protection and blessing.

Depending on the era, building votive shrines has always had a reason behind it: from entrusting individual buildings to the protection of Mary or St. John the Baptist, to thanksgiving for escaping the cholera epidemic, and many others.

Another corner, another story

Every corner, every wall, every caruggio holds a unique and fascinating story. For example, the votive shrine of St. Bernard, located in the Sarzano Square, was created to commemorate a miraculous event that occurred in 1557. It is believed that an image of the Madonna mysteriously appeared on the wall of a house, saving the city from a terrible plague epidemic. Since then, the Genoese have continued to decorate the shrine with candles and flowers as a sign of gratitude.

A particularly fascinating shrine is the one located at the corner of Via della Maddalena and Via della Posta Vecchia dedicated to St. Anthony. If you stop for a moment to look at the saint, you will notice an inscription under the base of the shrine, "SIQUAERIS MIRACULA": this is the beginning of a prayer dedicated to St. Anthony to find lost things. This prayer is the so called "St. Anthony's tredicina" because, according to tradition, it had to be told thirteen times in a row without pauses.

Hidden fun facts

The fun facts held by the votive shrines will put a smile even on the faces of the most skeptical ones. For example, the wayside shrine of San Nicolò, located on Salita San Nicolò, is called "the shrine of the bomb." Legend has it that in 1893 a bomb hit the area, but left the shrine miraculously intact. Since then, it has been decorated with graffiti to commemorate the event.

Another peculiarity is the one concerning the shrine dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua, at the intersection with Via Conservatori del Mare and Via degli Orefici, del Risorgimento. It is reported that in 1864, the wayside shrine was removed by a merchant who replaced it with a store sign. This episode caused great indignation: the perpetrator was convicted and the shrine relocated to the delight of the faithful who repeated, "St. Anthony does not want to be touched."

Preserving a widespread heritage

From time to time, the city administration has taken care of Genoa’s heritage, by initiating campaigns to conduct a census, by checking the conditions of preservation and in some cases restoration.

To go on with of what has been done so far, in the year 2021-2022 the Tourism Marketing Activities Department of the City of Genoa has entrusted the Department of Architecture and Design of the University of Genoa with the study for the restoration and enhancement of votive shrines in the old town. At first, the project was presented to the public in March 2022 with the aim of raising awareness of entities and citizens to take care of the beauty of this heritage as a common good.