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Prè (pron. ) is a neighbourhood in the
old town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins. In some cases, newer developments on t ...
of the Italian 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 ...
. It was one of the six ''
sestieri A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the title of (). Formed ac ...
'' of ancient Genoa. At present it is part of Municipio I (Centro Est) of
Great Genoa The term Great Genoa () refers to the present area of the municipality of Genoa, in the north west of Italy. Great Genoa extends for over 30 km along the coast of Ligurian Sea from Nervi to Voltri, and up the Polcevera valley of the Polceve ...
. Located close to the old harbour, it is likely the best-known neighbourhood of the old town of Genoa.


Etymology

Prè takes its name from the
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
word ''prædia'' (fields), because in origin this was a rural zone. The use of this term is documented since 1131.History of Prè in www.fosca.unige.it
/ref>


Demographics

On 31 December 2015 there were 7,586 people living in Prè, with a population density of 16,858 people per km².Comune di Genova – Statistical Bulletin – February 2016
page 16


Geography

Prè is located north west in the old town of Genoa, between two circles of city walls, the older Barbarossa walls (12th century) and the 14th century city walls, but includes also a small portion of old town inside the Barbarossa walls, with
via del Campo Via Del Campo is a paved road that crosses the ''carruggi'' in Genoa city centre. This street is well known for being one of the most representatives of Fabrizio De André songs ( played with Enzo Jannacci ). The song is actually named "Via del ...
. The neighbourhood occupies the semi-plain area between the port and the rear hill. The central and most characteristic area of the neighborhood is that of Via Prè and Via del Campo, with its narrow alleys (the typical Genoese "caruggi"), upstream of which is Via Balbi with its noble palaces.


History

The first settlements in the area date back to the second half of 12th century, when outside of the "Saint Faith Gate" (now called "Vacca's Gate") of the "Barbarossa" walls some buildings were built to assist travelers along the road leading from the city to the west. Included were several hospitals, founded by religious orders to offer accommodation and assistance to Crusaders, pilgrims, and merchants who were traveling from the port of Genoa to the Holy Land and the East. The best known of these was the Commandery of St. John of Prè, of the Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, or
Knights Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), is a Catholic military order. It was founded in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century and had headquarters there ...
, built in 1180. In the same period, dockyards for repairing ships were built in the near port, in the same place where two centuries later would be established the main base of the Genoese Navy.
Touring Club Italiano The Touring Club Italiano (TCI) (Italian Touring Club or Touring Club of Italy) is the major Italian national tourist organization. History The Touring Club Ciclistico Italiano (TCCI) was founded on 8 November 1894 by a group of bicyclists to ...
, Guida d'Italia – Liguria, Milan, 2009
This first port terminal gave an economic boost to the development of the neighbourhood. In 1347, the whole neighborhood was enclosed into the city walls, by building a new section of walls on the north-west side. During the 17th century the noble families of Balbi and Durazzo built, upstream the neighbourhood some luxurious palaces along a new wide street, ''Strada Balbi''. In the 19th century another important road was opened, ''
Carlo Alberto Charles Albert (; 2 October 1798 – 28 July 1849) was the King of Sardinia and ruler of the Savoyard state from 27 April 1831 until his abdication in 1849. His name is bound up with the first Italian constitution, the ''Statuto Albertino'', a ...
road'', suitable for transit of wagons coming to and from the port and in 1860 the Genoa Principe railway station was completed in the north west area of Prè. In the 20th century, when the business centre of Genoa moved from the old town to De Ferrari Square, a period of decline began for Prè, and after
World War II 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 ...
some areas were populated by petty criminals who earned their living by
cigarette smuggling The illicit cigarette trade is defined as "the production, import, export, purchase, sale, or possession of tobacco goods which fail to comply with legislation" by the intergovernmental Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Illicit cigarette tra ...
, prostitution and
receiving stolen goods Possession of stolen goods is a crime in which an individual has bought, been given, or acquired stolen goods. In many jurisdictions, if an individual has accepted possession of goods (or property) and knew they were stolen, then the individua ...
.A. Dal Lago ed E. Quadrelli, ''La città e le ombre: crimini, criminali, cittadini'' (''The city and the shadows: crimes, criminals, citizens''), Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore, Milan, 2003, During the seventies the alleys of Prè became a centre of narcotics smuggling, managed before by Italian mafias and later by non-EU immigrants, causing the abandonment by most of the original inhabitants and the consequent degradation of buildings.Via Prè history in guide.travelitalia.com
/ref> Today, after many years of decline also these areas of the neighbourhood are showing signs of recovery.


Architecture


Palazzi dei Rolli

The "Rolli di Genova" were, at the time 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 ...
, an official list of public lodging palaces of eminent Genoese families which aspired to host, by draw, foreign notable people visiting Genoa. Most of these buildings still exist, and in 2006 forty-two of them were inscribed by
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
in the list of
World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
. In Prè are 20 of these palaces (11 of which included in the list of World Heritage Site). File:Genova-palazzo Belimbau.jpg, Belimbau Palace File:PalazzoGiacomoLomellini.jpg, Lomellini-Patrone Palace File:Genova, Loggiato in via Balbi - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto, maggio 2005.jpg, Detail of the
loggia In architecture, a loggia ( , usually , ) is a covered exterior Long gallery, gallery or corridor, often on an upper level, sometimes on the ground level of a building. The corridor is open to the elements because its outer wall is only parti ...
of Durazzo-Pallavicini Palace File:Genova-AP-1010632.jpg, Rear façade of Durazzo-Cattaneo Adorno Palace and Bartolomeo Invrea Palace, overlooking Gramsci Street


Royal Palace

Among Rolli Stefano Balbi palace, best known as the Royal Palace is the most remarkable. It was built in 17th century and on 1824 was purchased by the king
Charles Felix of Sardinia Charles Felix (; 6 April 1765 – 27 April 1831) was the King of Sardinia and ruler of the Savoyard states from 12 March 1821 until his death in 1831. He was the last male-line member of the House of Savoy that started with Victor Amadeus I ...
as the residence of the royal court in Genoa. In 1919
Victor Emmanuel III Victor Emmanuel III (; 11 November 1869 – 28 December 1947) was King of Italy from 29 July 1900 until his abdication on 9 May 1946. A member of the House of Savoy, he also reigned as Emperor of Ethiopia from 1936 to 1941 and King of the Albani ...
handed it over to Italian state, together with its art collections.


University Palace

In Via Balbi the former College of the
Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
, designed by
Bartolomeo Bianco Bartolomeo Bianco (1590 – 1657) was an Italian architect of the early Baroque. Born at Como, he was the designer of several palaces in Genoa, where he moved to follow his father, also an architect. His works include the building which is now ...
between 1634 and 1636, hosts since 1775 the seat of the
University of Genoa The University of Genoa () is a public research university. It is one of the largest universities in Italy and it is located in the city of Genoa, on the Italian Riviera in the Liguria region of northwestern Italy. The original university was fou ...
. Bianco was inspired by the model developed by
Domenico Domenico is an Italian given name for males and may refer to: People * Domenico Alfani, Italian painter * Domenico Allegri, Italian composer * Domenico Alvaro, Italian mobster * Domenico Ambrogi, Italian painter * Domenico Auria, Italian a ...
and Giovanni Ponzello for Doria-Tursi palace, built at different levels, adapted to the slope of the land, with a spectacular marble staircase that from the entrance hall leads to a raised courtyard, surrounded by
column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member ...
s, from which other staircases reach the upper floors and the rear
botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is ...
. The palace today houses the rectorate office, some university departments and administrative offices. Next to the building is the former church of Saints Jerome and Francis Xavier, built in the mid 17th century, now university library, where ancient
manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand or typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has ...
s and
incunable An incunable or incunabulum (: incunables or incunabula, respectively) is a book, pamphlet, or broadside that was printed in the earliest stages of printing in Europe, up to the year 1500. The specific date is essentially arbitrary, but the ...
s are preserved.


D'Albertis Castle

D'Albertis Castle D'Albertis Castle () is a historic residence located in Genoa, in the north-western region of Italy. The castle was the former home of sea captain Enrico Alberto d'Albertis and was donated to the city of Genoa upon his death in 1932. Today, it ...
was built in Neo- Gothic style between 1886 and 1892 on the ruins of a 16th-century
bastion A bastion is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fire from the ...
of the city walls, overlooking the city from a hill on the border between the neighbourhoods of Prè and Castelletto, for the explorer
Enrico Alberto d'Albertis Enrico Alberto d'Albertis (23 March 1846 – 3 March 1932) was an Italian navigator, writer, philologist, ethnologist and philanthropist. His cousin Luigi Maria d'Albertis was also an explorer and naturalist. Biography Born at Voltri, now part o ...
. When he died, in 1932, the castle was donated to the city of Genoa, along with the collections he had gathered in his travels, that make up the original nucleus of the Museum of World Cultures, housed in the castle.


Vacca's Gate

St. Faith Gate, known as Vacca's Gate, was part of the "Barbarossa"
city walls A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications such as curtain walls with to ...
and was built in the 12th century. In 17th century it was incorporated in two noble palaces. The gate, west entrance to the city, like the best known and coeval "Porta Soprana", consists of two semicircular crenellated
tower A tower is a tall Nonbuilding structure, structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from guyed mast, masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting ...
s on either sides of a
lancet arch Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High Middle Ages, High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved f ...
.


Galata Museo del Mare

The Galata Museo del Mare is a
maritime museum A maritime museum (sometimes nautical museum) is a museum specializing in the display of objects relating to ships and travel on large bodies of water. A subcategory of maritime museums are naval museums, which focus on navy, navies and the m ...
designed by the Spanish architect Guillermo Vázquez Consuegra. The museum, inaugurated in 2004, is located in the ancient "Darsena", the base of the Genoese Navy's fleet between the 13th and the 18th century and incorporates the dockyard called Galata (from the name of the Genoese colony in the homonymous district of
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
) where at the time 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 ...
war
galley A galley is a type of ship optimised for propulsion by oars. Galleys were historically used for naval warfare, warfare, Maritime transport, trade, and piracy mostly in the seas surrounding Europe. It developed in the Mediterranean world during ...
s were built and maintained. The museum occupies 20 halls on an area of about 10,000 m². Since September 2009 the
submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...
Nazario Sauro Nazario Sauro (20 September 1880 – 10 August 1916) was an Austrian-born Italian irredentist and sailor. Life Born in Capodistria, in what was then the Austrian Littoral (today Koper, Slovenia), he took to sailing from a very young age ...
, retired from the
Italian Navy The Italian Navy (; abbreviated as MM) is one of the four branches of Italian Armed Forces and was formed in 1946 from what remained of the ''Regia Marina'' (Royal Navy) after World War II. , the Italian Navy had a strength of 30,923 active per ...
in 2002, has been moored in the small harbor basin in front of the museum, adapted for public visits and integrated in the museum visit path.


Places of Worship


Commandery of St. John of Prè

The Commandery of St. John of Prè is a complex founded in 1180 that includes two Romanesque churches at different levels, a monastery that belonged to the
Knights Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), is a Catholic military order. It was founded in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century and had headquarters there ...
and a hospital to offer accommodation and assistance to
Crusaders The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding ...
and pilgrims sailing from the port of Genoa to the
Holy Land The term "Holy Land" is used to collectively denote areas of the Southern Levant that hold great significance in the Abrahamic religions, primarily because of their association with people and events featured in the Bible. It is traditionall ...
. During all
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 ...
it had been an important point of reference for all travelers transiting in the port of Genoa.


Basilica della SS. Annunziata del Vastato

The Basilica della Santissima Annunziata del Vastato, simply called "Nunziata", is a major Genoese church. The interior of the church is
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 ...
, but the façade, with a high
portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...
and two
bell tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell to ...
s, was built only in the 19th century in
Neoclassical style Neoclassicism, also spelled Neo-classicism, emerged as a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassici ...
. The interior has a Latin cross plant with a
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 ...
and two
aisle An aisle is a linear space for walking with rows of non-walking spaces on both sides. Aisles with seating on both sides can be seen in airplanes, in buildings such as churches, cathedrals, synagogues, meeting halls, parliaments, courtrooms, ...
s with some chapels decorated with
fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...
es, paintings, inlaid marble and
stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and ...
, works by the greatest Genoese artists of the 17th century.www.annunziatadelvastato.it History of Basilica della Santissima Annunziata del Vastato
/ref> The church, built in 1520 in
Gothic style Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved from Romanesque ar ...
, anachronistic at that time, was given its present
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 ...
appearance in the first half of the 17th century by architects Giovanni Domenico Casella and Giacomo Porta, with the funding of Lomellini family.
Giovanni Battista Giovanni Battista was a common Italian given name (see Battista for those with the surname) in the 16th-18th centuries. It refers to "John the Baptist" in English, the French equivalent is "Jean-Baptiste". Common nicknames include Giambattista, G ...
and Giovanni Carlone made frescoes in the ceiling of the nave, aisles and
transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...
. The Neoclassical façade, designed by Giovanni Battista Resasco in the 19th century, has a tall portico with six Ionic columns. The serious damage wrought by bombing during
World War II 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 ...
has been restored in
postwar era A post-war or postwar period is the interval immediately following the end of a war. The term usually refers to a varying period of time after World War II, which ended in 1945. A post-war period can become an interwar period or interbellum, w ...
.


Other Catholic churches

* Santi Vittore e Carlo, in
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 ...
style, is located in via Balbi. It was built in 1635 by
Bartolomeo Bianco Bartolomeo Bianco (1590 – 1657) was an Italian architect of the early Baroque. Born at Como, he was the designer of several palaces in Genoa, where he moved to follow his father, also an architect. His works include the building which is now ...
. * Nostra Signora del Carmine e Sant'Agnese is located in via Brignole De Ferrari. The church, built in 1262, was restored over the centuries, but its interior preserves the original Gothic structure. * San Sisto, located in via Prè, was founded at the end of the 11th century but completely rebuilt in Neoclassical style in 1828 by Giovanni Battista Resasco and Pietro Pellegrini. * San Filippo Neri, in late-
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 ...
style, is located in via Lomellini, and was built in the second half of 17th century. Close the church is the oratory (18th century), that for its excellent acoustics is often used as a concert hall. * San Marcellino is a small and simple church near to via del Campo, where the future
pope Innocent VIII Pope Innocent VIII (; ; 1432 – 25 July 1492), born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 August 1484 to his death, in July 1492. Son of the viceroy of Naples, Cybo spent his ea ...
was baptized. It is one of the oldest church of Genoa. It is documented since 11th century, but was completely rebuilt in the 17th century. * Santa Fede, currently deconsecrated, is documented since 12th century and it was rebuilt in Baroque style in 1673. It is located in via delle Fontane, opposite Vacca's Gate. At present it hosts municipal offices."La rivoluzione della chiesa diventata ufficio" ("The change of the church became office")
in
la Repubblica (; English: "the Republic") is an Italian daily general-interest newspaper with an average circulation of 151,309 copies in May 2023. It was founded in 1976 in Rome by Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso (now known as GEDI Gruppo Editoriale) and l ...
, 3 December 2005
File:Genova-chiesa dei Santi Vittore e Carlo-facciata.jpg, Santi Vittore e Carlo File:NSCarmine-SAgnese 05.JPG, Nostra Signora del Carmine File:Chiesa di San Filippo Neri, Genova.jpg, San Filippo Neri File:Piazza Santa Fede Genova 01.JPG, Santa Fede


Notable people

* St. Ugo Canefri (1148–1233),
Knight Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), is a Catholic military order. It was founded in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century and had headquarters there u ...
, lived most of his life in the Commandery of St. John of Prè. * Giovanni Battista Cybo (1432–1492), pope since 1484 as Innocent VIII, born in Prè and baptized in the church of St. Marcellino *
Palmiro Togliatti Palmiro Michele Nicola Togliatti (; 26 March 1893 – 21 August 1964) was an Italian politician and statesman, leader of Italy's Italian Communist Party, Communist party for nearly forty years, from 1927 until his death. Born into a middle-clas ...
(1893–1964),
communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
politician, was born in Prè, where his family temporarily resided, but he lived in Genoa only few years in his childhood *
Fabrizio De André Fabrizio Cristiano De André (; 18 February 1940 – 11 January 1999) was an Italian singer-songwriter and the most-prominent '' cantautore'' of his time. He is also known as Faber, a nickname given by the friend Paolo Villaggio, as a referen ...
(1940–1999), singer-songwriter, has indissolubly linked his name with via del Campo, the street to which he devoted a famous song and where a former music shop is now a small museum of his life and his music (Via del Campo 29 rosso).


References


Bibliography

* * * {{Authority control Quartieri of Genoa