Genoa of Fabrizio De Andrè

No classic guided tour. No app in hand.

In order to relive the soul of Fabrizio De André’s city, the “authentic” Genoa of the Genoese people like him, one must immerse oneself in the places, scents and flavours that inspired the lyrics of his songs. It is no coincidence that “With every bump you pass, with every curve through which you turn, you discover different realities and situations”.

An indissoluble bond of affection was the one between Genoa and “Faber”, as his friend Paolo Villaggio affectionately nicknamed him.

During your journey to discover Genoa, you will be surrounded by a city full of surprises, that deliberately conceals itself only to suddenly open up in all its splendour: just by looking up at the sky at any point, you can catch a glimpse of frescoes of Renaissance palaces. An area full of strong contrasts and at the same time characterised by a disarming simplicity.

On this route through the streets of Genoa, in Via del Campo 29 Rosso stands a temple dedicated to De Andrè and the singer-songwriters of the Genoese school (Tenco, Lauzi, Paoli, for example), a street made famous precisely by De Andrè’s song of the same name. It is a modern place of memory in which, following in the footsteps of the historic “Musica Gianni Tassio” shop, a collector and connoisseur of the music and traditions of singer-songwriter artists, you can find original vinyl records, pictures, books, vintage magazines, curiosities and the legendary Esteve ’97, the guitar that belonged to Fabrizio.

Continuing along the Sottoripa arcades, you will get to Piazza Cavour, where the fish market was once held. A crowded and chaotic market that is recalled in the song Crêuza de mä. The voices heard at the beginning of the song are those of the fishmongers at the market that were recorded by De Andrè himself.

A rediscovery of the city with different eyes, halfway between poetry and reality, that allows you to breathe in the atmosphere and beauty of these Genoese places with the songs of the great master Faber in your head and heart.