During the 52nd Genoa International Boat Show, Genoa will welcome the second edition of GenovaInBlu, the “Show Fringe” that last year animated the city with cultural events, exhibitions, fashion shows, debates, meetings, as well as amazing shopping opportunities during the nine days of the Show. The 2011 edition had a huge success, and thousands and thousands of people participated in the evening events and performances.
The 52nd Genoa International Boat Show
GenovaInBlu 2012 is the result of the Boat Show organisers’ cooperation with Genoa Chamber of Commerce and Genoa City Council and of the partnership with the Liguria Regional Council, the local shopkeeper associations, and Convention Bureau. The 2012 edition will ensure an even closer integration between the fairground and the city as a whole, with initiatives and events held in many different locations and districts.
GenovaInBlu will indeed aim to enliven various areas in town through art, design, shopping opportunities, and a wide range of cultural events, fashion shows and music performances that will be hosted in wonderful historical palaces (Palazzo Ducale and the palaces of Via Garibaldi) and in the old town, allowing the public to enjoy a cheerful and yet extremely refined atmosphere.
One evening will be entirely devoted to Genoa’s cultural heritage: the Museums in Via Garibaldi will exceptionally be open in the afternoon and in the evening, while the Palazzi dei Rolli and some other historical palaces in the historical centre will be the stage for a wide range of events. Moreover, during GenovaInBlu an important exhibition will be officially inaugurated at Palazzo Nicolosio Lomellino, while Palazzo Lercari Spinola, whose restoration is currently being completed by Vaimm Sviluppo S.r.l. Gruppo Vittoria Assicurazioni, will host an important cultural event, allowing the public to visit and admire its magnificent halls, recently brought back to their original splendour.
Genoa Old Port – the traditional venue of edutainment activities for the younger ones and many other initiatives – will be GenovaInBlu’s ‘window’ on the sea.
The old town will be the perfect location to enjoy dinner, appetizers and special tasting sessions, while Genoa’s main shopping streets will combine shopping opportunities and food & wine initiatives, for the joy of tourists and residents alike.
Besides the traditional monumental lighting in Via Garibaldi, a highly scenic lighting project of the main areas hosting GenovaInBlu events (Piazza de Ferrari, Via Roma, Via XXV Aprile) is currently being defined.
The very heart of the city will start to lighten up on the opening night of GenovaInBlu, Sunday 7th October, when in the lower portico of Palazzo Ducale, master Marco Nereo Rotelli will set a series of light installations and sculptures that will provide a very special setting for a concert by Genoese songwriter and singer Francesco Baccini.
The first event of GenovaInBlu calendar will be the official opening of Contemplarte, a contemporary art exhibition that will be held in the cloisters of the church of San Matteo, the Museo Diocesano, Museo di Sant’Agostino and the church of Santa Maria di Castello; moreover, several modern and contemporary art galleries members of the Start circuit will be exceptionally open till late.
Two nights will be especially devoted to music and food & wine. Thanks to the cooperation with the shopkeepers and restaurant/bar owners members of the ASCOM association, the wonderful covered market Mercato Orientale will turn into a unique reception hall where the public will be able to taste some local specialities prepared by famous chefs and enjoy the music performances of several Genoese singers.
The Old Port – Acquario di Genova in particular – will host another great initiative devoted to the sustainable consumption of fish resources, featuring a seafood buffet, the theatre performance “Alla ricerca del Pesce ritrovato” (Searching for the new-found fish), and entertainment by Compagnia del Suq and the Bailam Orchestra.
On Tuesday 9th October, Aperitivo in Blu (Appetizers in blue) will be held, a whole evening devoted to shopping in Via Roma and the nearby streets, which will be converted into a large pedestrian area and where shops will be open till late. This area will be pervaded by the music played by the Teatro Carlo Felice Orchestra and Conservatorio Nicolò Paganini and, thanks to the support of the media group Gruppo RCS and magazine Yacht&Sail, all shops will offer appetizers to their customers.
The conference organised in cooperation with ADI – Associazione Design Industriale – and Yacht&Sail and involving the leading Italian and foreign yacht designers has by now become a traditional event at the Boat Show and of the GenovaInBlu programme: this year it will be held on Wednesday 10th October.
On Thursday 11th October, Genoa theatres will give their contribution to GenovaInBlu with a show produced by Teatro Stabile di Genova and held at Teatro della Corte: “Attenti a quei 3”, with Tullio Solenghi, Maurizio Lastrico and Enzo Paci.
This year too department store La Rinascente will propose some special initiatives on Friday 12th October: tasting sessions, fashion shows, make-up tutorials. All shops in the Piccapietra district will also be open on that night, with music and snacks offered by Moody – Pasticceria Svizzera.
From 11th to 14th October Palazzo Ducale will host “Bonjour la France”, a trade fair of typical French products and a real “showcase” for French tour operators. The city of Marseille in particular will be in the spotlight: in 2013 it will be the European Capital of Culture.
The GenovaInBlu flags will also flutter in several marinas in town and along the Rivieras, including Marina Genova Aeroporto and Porto Carlo Riva in Rapallo, where special night events will be organised.
Other initiatives in town
The GenovaInBlu calendar of events will go hand in hand with other important initiatives that will be organised in Genoa during the nine days of the 52nd Boat Show, from Saturday 6th to Sunday 14th October.
Here is some advance information:
Palazzo Ducale
MIRO! Poesia e luce (Poetry and Light)
From 5th October to 3rd March 2013 Palazzo Ducale will host an important exhibition devoted to Joan Miró (1893-1983), the great Catalan artist who left a unique mark in the history of European avant-garde movements.
Steve Mc Curry. A retrospective
The impressive retrospective devoted to the 27-year career of the American photographer and journalist Steve Mc Curry will be hosted at Palazzo Ducale starting in September. The exhibition will feature approximately one hundred portraits, landscapes and street pictures, including Mc Curry’s latest photographs, taken in India and Tibet.
The Museums
During the 52nd International Boat Show, Genoa museums will feature a series of events devoted to the sea and offer all tourists the opportunity to admire the best collections in town. Among others, it is undoubtedly worth mentioning the Mu.MA – Galata Museo del Mare, the largest and most innovative sea and maritime museum in Mediterranean countries.
Love Boats – Museo d’arte di Villa Croce
One of the most interesting projects related to the Boat Show is Love Boats. Capolavori di Arte e Design Contemporaneo (Love Boats. Contemporary design and art masterpieces), which will open on 4th October at the Villa Croce Museum of Contemporary Art and will include works of art, sketches and videos regarding the boating sector by great architects like John Pawson and Renzo Piano, designers like Philip Stark and Mark Newson, and wonderful artists like Jeff Koons who have created outstanding, unique crafts.
Ships, men and battles in the collection of the Istituto Mazziniano – Museo del Risorgimento
This exhibition, which will be inaugurated on 11th October 2012 and will remain open until 12th January 2013, will be devoted to the battles that took place at sea during the Italian Risorgimento and the ships and the people that were involved in them, through the exhibits preserved in the collections of the Istituto Mazziniano – Museo del Risorgimento.
Galleria d’Arte Moderna – Friday 5th October
Presentation of the book Grandi alberghi e ville della Belle Epoque nel golfo del Tigullio (Great Belle Époque hotels and villas in the Gulf of Tigullio) by Caterina Olcese Spingardi.
Ceramics will be in the spotlight at Palazzo Tursi with the exhibition Le forme intelligenti (Intelligent shapes), while the Museum of Oriental Art Museo d’Arte Orientale E. Chiossone will host Porcellane cinesi e giapponesi nelle civiche collezioni (Chinese and Japanese porcelain from civic collections).
Tourists will be able to take advantage of the special conditions offered by the special museum card Card dei Musei (valid 24 or 48 hours) enabling card holders to visit the 22 city museums and get discounts at Genoa Aquarium, in theatres and various exhibitions. Concessions will also be granted at the Bigo panoramic lift, Città dei Bambini (the City of Children), Palazzo Ducale, Museo Luzzati, Parco Pallavicini in Pegli, Villa Durazzo in S.Margherita Ligure, Teatro Carlo Felice, Teatro Stabile di Genova, Teatro dell’Archivolto, Teatro della Tosse, Palazzo del Principe, Castello Mac Kenzie, Museo del Genoa. The “museums+bus” version also allows to use public transport for free.
The special card can be purchased in the various city museums and the bookshop of Musei Musei di Strada Nuova – Palazzo Ducale – IAT (Tourist Information) in via Garibaldi, piazza De Ferrari, at the Cristoforo Colombo airport, in Piazza Caricamento, as well as online.
Guided tours in the Old Town
Every week end experienced guides will lead visitors through Genoa historical centre and in some of the Palazzi dei Rolli, the magnificent residences of Genoese aristocracy in the 16th and 17th centuries that have now been inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Guided tours in Italian and English will start every Saturday at 10.00 am, tours in Italian and Spanish at 2.30 pm; on Sundays at 10.00 am guided tours in Italian, English, French and German. All guided tours will start from the IAT (Tourist Information) centre in Piazza Caricamento (Old Port area). The full ticket will cost € 12, tours will be free for children below the age of 12. Concessions (€ 10) for children between 12 and 18 and for people over 65. Groups are advised to contact the Visitor Centre in via Garibaldi or the IAT offices in Piazza Caricamento, Largo Pertini (Teatro Carlo Felice ticket office) or at Genoa Cristoforo Airport at least 48 hours in advance.
The ticket price also includes the admission to the Musei di Strada Nuova (the museums in Via Garibladi), worth € 8 (only on the same day as the tour).
Guided tours will cover the old town area, they will last approximately 2 hours and will end in Via Garibaldi, where the guide will leave all participants, who will then have the opportunity to visit the three museums Musei di Strada Nuova independently.
Tickets can be purchased at:
– Visitor Centre, Via Garibaldi: tel. +39 010.5572903/751
– IAT (Tourist Information) Office, Piazza Caricamento: tel. +39 010.5574200/202
– IAT (Tourist Information) Office, Largo Pertini (Teatro Carlo Felice ticket office): tel. +39 010.8606122
– IAT (Tourist Information) Office, Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport: +39 010.6015247
Discovering Genoa historical centre with the new audio guides
The project aimed at promoting Genoa historical centre includes a series of NEW AUDIO GUIDES available in 6 languages – Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, and Russian – that will allow foreign tourists to freely discover the city’s artistic beauties thanks to pleasant, in-depth descriptions. When purchasing the audio guide the visitors will receive a map of the itineraries, so as to find their way in town and reach the city’s main attractions more easily.
Audio guides are an MP3 device. They are environmentally friendly since they are made of recyclable board and can be used several times (they operate with AAA mini Stilo batteries).
The itinerary can be covered in approximately 2 hours. The audio guides cost € 12 for adults between 18 and 65 year; € 10 for children under the age of 18 and people over 65; € 8 for groups (minimum 10 people). TheY can be purchased at:
– Visitor Centre in Via Garibaldi: tel. +39 010.5572903/751
– IAT office, Piazza Caricamento: tel. +39 010 5574200/202
Museo Luzzati
PINOCCHIO. Biennale 2012
Until 13th January 2012
Pinocchio – Biennale 2012 is an “in progress” event devoted to the best known Italian literary character in the world. The exhibition – conceived by Flavio Costantini who has specifically created a series of works to this purpose – features over 200 works by some of today’s leading artists and illustrators portraying the famous puppet and also includes a wide selection of videos (curator: Mario Serenellini).
Galleria Nazionale di Palazzo Spinola
The Presentation of the Virgin Mary at the Temple, by Luca Giordano
Saturday 6th October – Sunday 14th October
Exhibition of the a preliminary sketch for the monumental altarpiece portraying the Presentation of the Virgin Mary at the Temple, painted by Luca Giordano for the church Santa Maria della Salute in Venezia, which was recently donated to the museum in memory of Domingo e Giovanna Marchini; the Neapolitan artist painted his masterpiece and then sent it to Venice in the late summer of 1672.
This precious donation further enriches the Museum’s collection and allows to widen our knowledge of this famous Neapolitan master, whose monumental The Allegory of Peace and Education of the Virgin are also preserved in Palazzo Spinola National Gallery.
I Centenari
Saturday 6th October, 4.30 pm
A concert organised by the association Associazione Amici del Carlo Felice e del Conservatorio N. Paganini (hall on the second main floor; admission free for museum ticket holders, until seats last)
Richard Wagner (1813-1883): Raffaele Ottonello, violoncello; Giacomo Battarino and Giovanni Piana, piano.
Saturday 13th October, 4.30 pm
A concert organised by the association Associazione Amici del Carlo Felice e del Conservatorio N. Paganini (hall on the second main floor; admission free for museum ticket holders, until seats last)
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901): Lilia Gamberini, soprano; Caterina Arzani, pianoforte.
Piazza di Pellicceria, 1 – 16123 Genoa
Tel +39.010.2705300 fax +39.010.2705322
e-mail: palazzospinola@beniculturali.it
Tuesdays to Saturdays: 8.30 am – 7.30 pm – Sundays and public holidays: 1.30 – 7.30 pm – Closed on Mondays
Full ticket: € 4.00; concessions (18-25 years) € 2.00; free admission for children below the age of 18 and people over 65
Combined ticket Palazzo Spinola-Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace): full ticket € 6.50; concessions € 3.25
Acquario Village
During the Boat Show the public will find some new edutainment initiatives and activities at the AcquarioVillage too: as of July, at the sea museum Galata Museo del Mare, it is possible to step onboard the seventeenth-century galley pretending to be slaves, convicts or simply volunteers, then take part in the great ocean crossing of the Italian migrants on the steamships heading towards the States, Brazil and Argentina, and finally visit the abyss onboard the Nazario Sauro submarine.
At Genoa Aquarium 15,000 animals representing 400 different species will allow all visitors to discover the sea world and its extraordinary creatures.
The City of Children (Città dei bambini e dei ragazzi) will re-open on 9th October and will offer 90 unique exhibits and new activities, as well as scientific demonstrations for children aged between 2 and 12 years on weekends.
AcquarioVillage will also offer a fascinating full immersion in a small tropical forest with scarlet Ibises, the Mata mata turtle and 150 different species of aromatic plants in the “Biosphere”, followed by a ride on the Bigo panoramic lift, offering a unique view over the city and the port.
Special promotions during the Boat Show
Costa Edutainment will offer all Boat Show exhibitors and visitors a special €4 discount on full-price tickets for AcquarioVillage, Acquario di Genova and the Galata Museo del Mare (with our without the visit to the submarine).
