Bolzaneto is a quarter of the city of

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

, in northwest

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, and is part of the Municipality Valpolcevera of Genoa.

Geography

Bolzaneto was once a hamlet located outside of the city limits in the Polcevera valley, but in the recent centuries it became an industrial area. Today it is a suburb of Genoa, surrounded by many small industries and business firms, but offering excellent views of the city and harbor. The Bolzaneto district includes the hamlets of Morego, San Biagio, Brasile, Cremeno, Geminiano and Murta. The district has a population of 15,239 inhabitants (as of December 31, 2006). On the mountains behind Bolzaneto, at the left side of Polcevera valley, are two fortresses, which are part of the external fortresses of Genoa: the “Fort Diamante” and the fort named “Fratello Minore”. At the right side of valley, on Mount Figogna (804 m), is the Shrine of N.S. della Guardia, from where you have a wide view of the valley. The Shrine, located in the municipality of Ceranesi can be reached by the provincial road No 52.

History

Until the mid-19th century Bolzaneto was a small village on the left side of the river Polcevera, near a wide bend of this. At the beginning of the second millennium the village was a simple group of houses around the church of N.S. della Neve (Our Lady of Snow). The town had been subject to the civil and religious authority of Brasile until 1854, when the municipal headquarters and the parish were transferred to Bolzaneto. Brasile is now a little hamlet on the hill behind Bolzaneto, but in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

people lived there who had important roles in the government of the

Republic of Genoa The Republic of Genoa ( ; ; ) was a medieval and early modern Maritime republics, maritime republic from the years 1099 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italy, Italian coast. During the Late Middle Ages, it was a major commercial power in ...

. Near Bolzaneto, then on the right side of Polcevera stream, was located the monastery of San Francesco alla Chiappetta, built at the end of the 13th century. In the 18th century, the

, allied to

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, was involved in

War of Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession was a European conflict fought between 1740 and 1748, primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Related conflicts include King George's War in Nort ...

. In 1746 the valley, Valpolcevera, was occupied by an Austrian-Piedmontese army, led by the General Botta Adorno, which came up to Genoa, from where he was expelled after the popular revolt of December 5, 1746, set up with the legendary episode of Balilla. Starting on April 11, 1747, another Austrian army Siege of Genoa (1747) unsuccessfully besieged Genoa. The Austrians, coming from the North through the Apennine, again occupied the whole Valpolcevera. The prolonged occupation led to looting and destruction of the homes and villages in the region. In the weeks that followed, an army of volunteers of Valpolcevera, supported by regular troops of the Republic of Genoa began a counter-offensive, forcing the evacuation on July 9, 1747, from the Valpocevera of the Austrian army, leaving behind much of the area in a state of devastation. The topography of the place had a great change in the mid-19th century, when the Genoa-Turin railway was built. It was necessary to correct and dam the frequently-flooding Polcevera river, eliminating the existing bend. A new path for the torrent bed was dug for about 500 m, by cutting the base of the Murta hill upstream the monastery of San Francesco (that so passed from right to left bank of the stream) and an embankment on the left side was built, on which the railway runs. Gradually many houses were built up in the old stream-bed, thus forming the present town of Bolzaneto. In the second half of the 19th century, the area, formerly agricultural, became industrial, with the establishment of several companies (the most important were the Foundries Bruzzo and the soap factory Lo Faro). In 1926, together with other 18 municipalities, Bolzaneto joined the municipality of Genoa, to form the so-called Great Genoa. After the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the steel crisis led to the closure of Foundries Bruzzo (1957) and in a portion of these areas, near S. Biagio, was built the ERG refinery (then closed in 1988, also as a result of the growing attention of people to environmental aspects). In this area where there is now a large shopping center and a new residential district. Like this, other areas, abandoned since 1960, due to the closure of factories, many small industries and businesses firms have now replaced them. Close to Bolzaneto there is a police

barracks Barracks are buildings used to accommodate military personnel and quasi-military personnel such as police. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word 'soldier's tent', but today barracks ar ...

that in 2001 was in the international headlines, when there many protesters (arrested during the disturbances occurred at the G8 meeting in the city of Genoa) were imprisoned. Some

police officer A police officer (also called policeman or policewoman, cop, officer or constable) is a Warrant (law), warranted law employee of a police, police force. In most countries, ''police officer'' is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. ...

s were accused and convicted of organised brutality on a large scale.BBC 15 July 2008 "Italy officials convicted over G8"
/ref> Since 2005, the quarter of Morego is home to the headquarters of the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT).

Main sights

Castle of Bolzaneto

The

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

was a fortress built by the noble Genoese family of Adorno. It was destroyed in the 14th century by the mercenary troops of the Visconti, being rebuilt by the

in 1380. The castle was also involved in the fighting of 1746-1747 during the

, and also became the headquarters of the Podestà (major) of Polcevera Valley. At the beginning of the 20th century it was abandoned as military stronghold and transformed into a residential villa, then into a hospital, until 1990. Currently it is used as a home for the elderly and hospice.

Fortresses

The Fortresses called "I Due Fratelli" (The Two Brothers) were two fortresses said, referring to their position, "Major Brother" and "Minor Brother". They were built by the

Savoy Savoy (; )  is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south and west and to the Aosta Vall ...

in the first half of nineteenth century, after the annexation of the

Kingdom of Sardinia The Kingdom of Sardinia, also referred to as the Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica among other names, was a State (polity), country in Southern Europe from the late 13th until the mid-19th century, and from 1297 to 1768 for the Corsican part of ...

, established by

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...

in 1814. The first fortress, shaped as a simple tower, was demolished in 1932 to create an antiaircraft position, the second one (''Minor Brother'') is still intact and overlooks the valley from the top of Mount Spino (622 m). The "Fort Diamante", on the top of mount bearing the same name, has been built in the 18th century, then completed and modified in the first half of the 19th century. Image:F.fratellominore.JPG, Fort called "Fratello Minore". File:Genova Forte Diamante2.jpg, Fort Diamante.

Villas and palaces

In Bolzaneto and on Murta hill there were, in the past centuries, many villas and palaces used as summer residences by the noble and rich Genoese families. Some of these survived today, although now surrounded by factories and sheds. These buildings, restructured, are used as schools, offices or private houses. Among these Villa Carrega (17th century) and Villa Garibaldi (now both used as nursery schools) and, on the right bank of Polcevera the Palaces Rivarola and Pareto. Near the hamlet of Cremeno is the Villa Cambiaso, which was the summer residence of Giovanni Battista Cambiaso, who was Doge of the

(from 1771 to 1773).

Places of worship

Church of N.S. della Neve

The first Church of N.S. della Neve was built in the 14th century as a chapel depending by the parish of San Felice of Brasile, restored in seventeenth century and completely rebuilt in 1855 when it became the seat of the parish. In 1956 a new modern church, consecrated by Cardinal Giuseppe Siri in 1960, was built in another site nearby and the old church was demolished. In this new church has been placed the

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

altars and statues of the old church. In the church there are also two paintings by

Paolo Gerolamo Piola Paolo Gerolamo Piola (1666–1724) was an Italian people, Italian painter during the Baroque art, Baroque period, residing mainly in Genoa. His father, Domenico Piola, was a prominent Genoese painter. Paolo Gerolamo was very active painting sacre ...

(''Conversion of Saint Paul'' and ''

Abraham Abraham (originally Abram) is the common Hebrews, Hebrew Patriarchs (Bible), patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father who began the Covenant (biblical), covenanta ...

receives three angels'') and a ''Dead Jesus'' by Giulio Cesare Procaccini.

Church and monastery of San Francesco alla Chiappetta

According to tradition, the site of the church and

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

of San Francesco was given by the noble family Lercari to St. Francis of Assisi, who was in

in 1213 during a trip to

, but there are no documents that attest that. The donation of the land is documented by a Convention act for the building of the monastery and the church of Chiappetta, stipulated in the 1280 between the family Lercari and the

Franciscan Order The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

, implemented in 1291. In the following years the monastery and the church were built, in primitive Gothic style. In the second half of the 17th century the

cloister A cloister (from Latin , "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open Arcade (architecture), arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle (architecture), quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cat ...

was built on and at the beginning of eighteenth century the church and the monastery had been completely restructured. The inside of the church was remade in

(style) by the Lombard architect Francesco Muttoni (1668–1747). Inside the church, which has a single

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

, there are some remarkable paintings from the 17th century: ''Stigmata of St. Francis'' by Giovanni Battista Carlone, ''Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary'' by Pietro Paolo Raggi (1649-1724), '' St. Catherine Fieschi's Ecstasy'' and ''Immaculate Conception'' by Domenico Piola and '' St. Anthony's Miracle''” by Giuseppe Galeotti. There is also a wooden

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

Anton Maria Maragliano Anton Maria Maragliano (18 September 1664 – 7 March 1739) was an Italian sculptor of the Baroque period, known primarily for his wooden statues. He was born in Genoa, where he led an important workshop. He is called also Maraggiano by some ...

(1664–1741). In 1798, due to

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

's suppression of religious orders, the Franciscan friars had to leave the monastery and the church was entrusted to the diocesan clergy until 1896, when they could return. As mentioned above, the monastery and the church, due to the work to embank the torrent Polcevera (middle of the 19th century), passed from the right to the left bank of the stream.

Transport

Roads

Bolzaneto is crossed by the National Road 35 “dei Giovi”, and the

Highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It includes not just major roads, but also other public roads and rights of way. In the United States, it is also used as an equivalent term to controlled-access highway, or ...

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

, of which there is an important toll exit. From Bolzaneto begin several provincial roads that leads to towns in the hinterland ( Ceranesi, Sant'Olcese and Serra Riccò).

Railways

Bolzaneto has a railway station on the line of Giovi ( Genoa-Sampierdarena, Bolzaneto, Pontedecimo,

Busalla Busalla is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Genoa in the Italian region Liguria, located about north of Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the upper valley of the Scrivia river. Nearby is the artificial Lake Busalletta. ...

, Ronco Scrivia). This line is covered only by regional trains from

, Arquata Scrivia,

Novi Ligure Novi Ligure (; , ; , ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) north of Genoa, in the province of Alessandria, in the Italian region of Piedmont. The town produces food, iron, steel, and textiles. It is an important junction for both road and railroad ...

, Alessandria, and vice versa. Intercity trains to and from

and

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

, are routed on the Giovi branch line, which crosses longitudinally Bolzaneto, parallel to the line of Giovi.

References

* L. Persoglio, Memorie della parrocchia di Murta in Polcevera (Memories of the Parish of Murta in Polcevera), 1873 * F. Pittaluga, Soppressione e ritorno al convento (Suppression and Return to the Monastery), 1982 * M. Lamponi, Valpolcevera, come eravamo (Valpolcevera, how we were), 1983 * Guide of Italy – Liguria, T.C.I (Italian Touring Club), 1982

Notes

External links

http://www.fortidigenova.com/
- Site about Genoa's Fortresses {{Authority control Quartieri of Genoa Former municipalities of the Province of Genoa Castles in Italy