Suggerimenti per www.italia.it (come si descrive una città)

36 hours in Genoa, Italy ... but more time is better, believe in me.
TELL people you’re planning to spend part of your Italian vacation in Genoa, and you’ll most likely get an incredulous “Why?” Until a few years ago, Genoa was far more grit than glamour — a way station to more fabulous places like Cinque Terre. And its industrial port was among the more forgettable spots along the Italian Riviera. But a complete scrub-down and restoration of its once seedy waterfront, combined with an influx of young, well-funded entrepreneurs, has made Genoa a city bustling with cosmopolitan wine bars and restaurants. Sure, you won’t confuse Genoa with Milan, but it doesn’t want you to.
Friday
6 p.m.
1) NOT SO SQUARE
For a sense of how Genoa teems with unpretentious night life, head to Piazza delle Erbe. A small square hidden amid the labyrinthine alleys that snake through the city’s medieval quarter, it is home to no fewer than a half-dozen bars, two restaurants, a pizzeria and a gelateria. Tables from the nearby establishments spill out onto the square, providing prime real estate for gazing at the hipper-than-thou young crowd, which might just give you a look that says, “Don’t spoil this for us, tourist.” Forgo a glass of wine (you’ll probably have plenty in Genoa before you leave) and stop in Bar Berto (Piazza delle Erbe 6R), which brews its own beer (5 euros, about $6, at $1.21 to the euro).
9 p.m.
2) SHOWROOM DINING
Anyone who thinks Genoa is still a grimy port town hasn’t set foot inside Mua (Via San Sebastiano 13). It is a place where Genoa’s beautiful people gather, with décor taken straight from some chic Italian design store: walls awash in gleaming white, high-backed brown leather chairs, tables propped up by thin stem-like legs. The menu has Ligurian specialties like scallops brushed with bread crumbs and olive oil (10 euros). For a pasta course, try the testaroli, a kind of local pasta with a soft, chewy texture more like a crepe than a noodle (18 euros), in a cheese sauce. Barely open a year and a half, Mua has established itself as one of the city’s finest restaurants.
11 p.m.
3) DIGESTIF
For late evening, discos can certainly be found, but you are better off parking yourself at La Lepre (Piazza Lepre 5R), a cozy bar with soothing green walls, and ordering an after-dinner grappa. It’s a bit hard to find (the tiny square is not on many maps), but that only adds to the appeal.
Saturday
10 a.m.
4) HARBOR WALK
With a little help from Renzo Piano, native son and star architect, the wharfs along Genoa’s old port, known as the Porto Antico, have been transformed into bustling, palm-lined promenades full of cafes, restaurants and a biosphere suspended over the water. There’s also an aquarium that bills itself as one of Europe’s largest, but it can get mobbed. Instead, head to the Galata Museo del Mare (Calata De Mari www.galatamuseodelmare.it), a maritime museum with strategic views. Grab an espresso at the Galata Cafe and head to the roof, which overlooks the waterfront and the city. Small viewfinders identify the city’s major attractions, helping you plot out your day.
11 a.m.
5) (VERY) OLD TOWN
Parts of Genoa’s old city still look and feel like the Middle Ages. The cobblestone alleyways are so narrow that you can stretch out your arms and touch buildings on either side of the street. Spend some time getting lost — it’s easy to do — though you don’t want to miss the San Lorenzo Cathedral (Piazza San Lorenzo), which dates back to the ninth century, in the heart of the old city. Its distinctive zebra-striped facade is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, repeated on buildings throughout the city. San Lorenzo’s smaller architectural twin, the Church of San Matteo (Piazza San Matteo), is a short walk away and has an ornate marble crypt, where the explorer Andrea Doria is entombed.
1 p.m.
6) LITTLEST SANDWICH SHOP
Blink and you might miss Gran Ristoro (Via Sottoripa 27 R), a tiny closet of a sandwich shop just off the harbor. It is so small, in fact, that you would walk right past it if not for the line of Genoese of all stripes — cops, students, dock workers — extending out the door. The printed menu is minimal; there’s just no way to list that much meat. Just ask for a toasted sandwich, served on a soft, fresh roll with your choice of one of the dozens of meats — prosciutto, capicola, pancetta, spianata — hanging in the window. At 2.40 euros, you won’t find a more satisfying lunch bargain.
3 p.m.
7) DESIGN AND DIOR
Shopping in higher-end design stores here can feel more like going to a museum than browsing for housewares. Via Garibaldi 12 (Via Garibaldi 12 viagaribaldi12.com) is no exception. Housed in a loftlike space in an old palace that could very well be a museum on a street lined with them, the store’s showroom is filled with items both practical, like Artemide desk lamps (from 250 euros), and impractical, like a giant red upholstered chair for 36,000 euros. More design products can be found at Compagnia Unica (Via San Vincenzo 102/104 R; 39-010-54-3459; compagniaunica.com), which carries Dior for your closet and Norman Copenhagen for your kitchen.
7 p.m.
8) SALUMI E VINO
Wine bars are not difficult to stumble across in Genoa. But a place that is guaranteed to whet your palate with a wide variety of whites, reds and a heaping plate of salami and cheese is Taggiou (Vico Superiore del Ferro taggiou.it). If there are no seats inside the intimate, brick-ceilinged dining room, you can stand outside over one of the wine barrels that double as patio furniture. A glass of wine and the plate is 7 euros.
9 p.m.
9) CARNIVORE’S PARADISE
Fresh fish is a staple in Genoa. But for something a little more carnal, try Maxela (Vico Inferiore del Ferro 9 maxela.it), a steakhouse so proud to be beef-only that its meat locker opens onto the main dining room, and cooks can be seen (and heard) hammering away as they tenderize cuts of beef. Favorites include the beef heifer tagliata (15 euros), served with a variety of sauces like balsamic vinegar-caramelized pear and rosemary-garlic. For a first course, don’t skip the handmade gnocchi with pesto (9 euros). It is so soft, practically no chewing is required. And you can’t leave Genoa without having pesto. As you will undoubtedly hear many times over from proud Genoese, it is said to have been invented here.
Sunday
9 a.m.
10) LIGHT BREAKFAST
Genoese aren’t big on brunch. So forget about having eggs and go instead to Tagliafico (Via Galata, 31 R), one of the city’s best pasticcerias. Its display cases are meticulously arranged, showing off perfectly crafted homemade croissants, bignés (cream puffs) and chocolates as if they were precious jewels. An espresso and a couple of pastries cost around 5 euros.
11 a.m.
11) FRESCOES AND GELATO
Via Garibaldi is lined with old palaces that have been converted into museums and granted protective status by the United Nations. Palazzo Rosso (Via Garibaldi 18 www.museopalazzorosso.it) offers something the others don’t have. It has opened its curator’s apartment, an architectural gem designed by Franco Albini, to the public. Its steel spiral staircase and minimalist design seem a world apart from the frescoed ballrooms and gilded halls downstairs. After your tour, make sure to stop into Profumo di Rosa (Via Cairoli 13A/R), a new gelateria that serves generous scoops of fruity and creamy gelati. Rosa, the proprietor, is the kind of energetic young entrepreneur who wears her Genoese pride on her sleeve.
IF YOU GO
Delta and United are among the airlines that fly to Genoa from New York with a connecting flight usually in Europe. According to a recent search, fares started at about $1,300 for travel in June. Genoa is small enough that you can walk pretty much anywhere in the city center. And when your feet get tired, it’s easy to hail a cab.
...but more time is better, believe in me.
By JEREMY W. PETERS (New York Times)

Oh forgot, here was born Cristoforo Colombo