TRAGUARDARE ORIZZONTI: GENOVA, IL SEGNO DEL RINNOVARSI DI UNA CITTÀ ATTRAVERSO LA SUA IMMAGINE

The subject of this study is the analysis of the city of Genoa and the citizens that have inhabited it over the centuries, inevitably interconnected on the background of a difficult geographical position and complex political events. The continuous changing of horizons, which were gradually sought to respond the constantly renewed sociopolitical needs throughout the decades, can still be read through the image of the city itself. Compressed between two very different horizons, the sea horizon which means opening and ì mountains horizon which means closing, Genoa has often found original solutions even when forced to grow on itself in a small area. The contribution briefly addressed the historical-urban evolution of the city over a period ranging from the Twelfth to the Twenty-first century. The medieval period was initially explored as a historical period in which the urban and architectural remains are still visible and lived by the Genoese population. The traces that are still present in the historic center are the signs of a very original stratification, both in buildings and in the community. It was then highlighted that the decentralization of the city began at the end of the Nineteenth century, both in physical and social terms, as a result of the economic and industrial development of the region. In the following century, historical knowledge and collective memory gradually got lost, caused by the invasive operations carried out in the ancient area of the city and the progressive depopulation of the original historic centre. In conclusion, the preservation and restoration of historical remains in the city are hoped for, through the photographic and the visual perception of the different signs, not so much for tourism purposes as above all to restore a spirit of identity and a sense of belonging not only to the new generations but to the whole community.