Piazza De Ferrari is the main square of Genoa. Situated in the heart of the city between the historical and the modern center, Piazza De Ferrari is renowned for its fountain, which was restored in recent years along with a major restyling of the square.
Today next to Piazza De Ferrari are numerous office buildings, headquarters of banks, insurances and other private companies, making of this district the financial and business centre of Genoa, so that the Genoese popularly refer to it as the "City" of Genoa. At the end of the 19th century Genoa was the main financial centre of Italy along with Milan, and Piazza De Ferrari was the place where many institutions were established, like the stock exchange, the Credito Italiano, the branch offices of the Bank of Italy, founded in 1893.
Description
The square, dedicated to the Italian banker and politician Raffaele De Ferrari, duke of Galliera, has an irregular form due to urbanistic works which united two different urban areas. The square is about .
Today's shape of the piazza took form in the first two decades of the twentieth century with the creation of the three streets which converge from east: Via XX Settembre, Via Dante and Via Petrarca; and with the creation of the four eclectic palaces. All of this was built on the area obtained through the excavation of Colle San Andrea.
We can consider the square being built between 1899 and 1983. The four eclectic palaces are contrasted by neoclassic examples of buildings such as the Teatro Carlo Felice and Accademia Ligustica di Belle Arti. Furthermore, next to Teatro Carlo Felice two streets branch out: Via Roma (elegant street enriched by boutiques and shops), flanked by Galleria Mazzini and Via XXV Aprile.
In front of the theatre is located a statue dedicated to Giuseppe Garibaldi, built by the Italian sculptor Augusto Rivalta in 1893.
At the centre of the square, in 1936, a bronze fountain was built. It was designed by the architect Giuseppe Crosa di Vergagni and it soon became one of the main symbols of the city.
During the 1990s, the square was architectonically renovated by the German urbanist and architect Bernhard Winkler and most of the attention went to the asphalt, the fountain and Palazzo Ducale. The square is now almost all for pedestrians.
History
Piazza San Domenico
Where now lies the square, in the past it was nothing more than a triangular space which was named after San Domenico's Church. The church was demolished in the 1820s and on its soil was built Teatro Carlo Felice.
The square was enclosed by its church, a Dominican cloister, Palazzo Forcheri and other buildings. In the middle of the square there was a (monumental fountain) from the year 1536.
Linked to Piazza San Domenico were to the east Via Giulia, Via dei Sellai (now named Via Cardinal Boetto) and to the west Via San Sebastiano. Most of today's square was taken by houses which were built at the foot of Colle San Andrea, then excavated at the beginning of the twentieth century.
The nineteenth century
First half of the century
After the incorporation of the former Ligurian Republic to the Sardinian Kingdom established in 1814 during the Congress of Vienna, a decision was made and the area were now Piazza De Ferrari is located was destined to become a social and cultural place of meeting. In addition to this, it was proposed to build a theatre where was located the former complex of San Domenico.
In 1818, King Vittorio Emanuele I authorised the demolition of the church. The church was then demolished and on its soil was built Teatro Carlo Felice which was inaugurated on April 7, 1828 (after two years of building).
Next to the theatre, on April 28, 1832, was inaugurated a two-stories building destined to become the headquarters of the Accademia Ligustica and of Biblioteca Berio.
In the following years, the square was linked to the port by the construction of Via San Lorenzo where now lies the Cathedral of San Lorenzo. Other than being linked to several important streets such as Strada Balbi, Via Garibaldi (former Strada Nuova), Via Cairoli (former Strada Nuovissima) and Strada Giulia.
Second half of the century
During the second half of the century, several jobs on the road network were made and the square acquired its role of fulcrum of the city.
In 1868, Via Roma was built and next to it was built a parallel covered street, Galleria Mazzini.
On December 10, 1975, one year after the death of Raffaele De Ferrari, the square was dedicated to him.