Genoa, the home of Italian songwriting: the places that influenced the great artists of the past

The so-called “city of the Lantern”, with its maritime history, picturesque alleys and melancholy soul, is home to numerous songwriters who have captured the soul of Genoa with melodies and lyrics.

From Fabrizio De André to Luigi Tenco, from Bruno Lauzi to Gino Paoli, Genoa's talented artists have soaked the city with poetry and notes of tenderness. The streets of Genoa turned into a natural stage for musical tales that embrace stories of everyday life, lost loves, the adventures of sailors and the melancholy of the caruggi.

In this article, we will delve into the heart of Genoese songwriting, revealing the places that have inspired the city's great artists and the unique atmospheres that have shaped the sound of this city.

The tradition of Genoa’s songwriting

Genoa’s songwriting is a unique musical tradition rooted in the folklore and the stories of the city. It is characterized by deep lyrics about migration, life at sea and heartbreaks.

Luigi Tenco, Bruno Lauzi, Gino Paoli, Umberto Bindi and Fabrizio De André, with their songs, poems and harmonies gave birth to an authentic and appreciated cultural and artistic movement that shines a light on one of the most beautiful capitals of the Mediterranean, showing its most significant corners and picturesque views. This movement represented a deep innovation in the use of a more realistic and authentic language, addressing new political and social issues, and a different approach to individual and sentimental themes.

Via del Campo, the heart of songwriting

Via del Campo is the most "musical" street in Genoa. It was originally a field, a land of vegetable gardens at the western end of the village, which became popular thanks to the song of the same name by Fabrizio De André and by the song La Casa In Via Del Campo by Amália Rodrigues.

The Via del Campo 29 “rosso”, also called the "Home of Genoese Songwriters," was a record and musical instrument store owned by Gianni Tassio. During the 1960s and 1970s, it had become a meeting place and cultural venue for music fans and artists. After Gianni Tassio passed away in 2004, the store was kept open and managed by his widow Daniela until 2010. Following its closure, the City of Genoa transformed the store into the current museum, which traces the history of Faber's works and contains a section dedicated to all the artists of the Genoese school of songwriting.

The Musicality of the Sea

Many Genoese songwriters have been able to capture the melancholy and quietness of the sea, covering the city with a romantic and poetic aura. For instance, the sea is very much present in Luigi Tenco's "Ballata del marinaio" (“The sailor’s ballad”). In this pacifist ballad, characterized by intimistic and sociological aspects, the author claims he’s against war since he does not understand how and why a man could go so far as to kill another man. He also claims that war is an individual matter that originates from ignorance.

One cannot fail to mention the stories of outcasts, prostitutes, and rebels of Fabrizio De André's Superba. Among the works of his extraordinary repertoire dedicated to the capital city there’s "Creuza de ma," a song that deals with the themes of travel and the sea, passion and suffering, Genoa and its being a culture of the Mediterranean, capital of trade and sea culture. In "Creuza de ma," the singer-songwriter uses dialect, adding audio contributions recorded in sea and port environments, including the voices of fish sellers from the city's fish market.

The mysteries of the Quartieri della Superba (Superba districts)

The Genoese songwriting and the places in the city that have influenced artists are a treasure to be discovered. Leaving the historic center behind, one can discover the Foce district. All the artists who were born in Genoa or moved to this city during childhood used to meet there, particularly in the bar latteria "Igea," on Via Casaregis at the corner with Via Cecchi, which inspired Gino Paoli's song "Quattro amici al bar" in 1991. The four friends at the bar were Paoli, Fabrizio, Tenco, and lyricist Riccardo Mannerin.

The charming village of Boccadasse, with its colorful little houses overlooking the sea, has been a source of inspiration for melancholy melodies and well-known poetic words. Salita Santa Chiara was, moreover, the place that long hosted Gino Paoli and his poetics. Overlooking the rooftops of the neighborhood, the artist found inspiration to write his beautiful song "La gatta."

Recently, a plaque dedicated to Luigi Tenco was unveiled in Via Aurora, at the end of Corso Italia, a place where Genoese singer-songwriters used to meet. To remember and pay homage to the great Italian artists, the “La casa dei cantautori” (The House of Songwriters) was opened in the San Giuliano Abbey. The itinerary is partly made of multimedia, based on augmented reality and constantly evolving, and partly on the display of precious objects donated by the artists or the families representing them.

Last but not least, don’t forget Sant'Ilario neighborhood, located in the Nervi hills, the place where Faber's most popular song, "Bocca di Rosa," was set. In the neighborhood, one can still see the old station, now disused, and the sculpture that pays homage to the song.