A British movie is being filmed right here in Genova, and it stars none other than Colin Firth. The other day we stumbled upon a scene being filmed right in our neighborhood. It had attracted quite a crowd of spectators. Here you can see a sound guy holding a microphone and perhaps the director talking to the actors around the car. We hear there may be a shoot at Piazza Cavour, right where we live, so we’ll be on the lookout for that. Also, according to IMDB, the movie is also being filmed in Boston.  The movie is provisionally called Genova, so be on the look out for it in the next year or so!

Savona  is a historic city about 25 miles east of Genova. Throughout the middle ages Genova and Savona were great rivals. Today, Savona has pleasant nice of sights and areas to enjoy, such as the old palazzos and narrow streets in the historic center, the arcaded shopping street Via Paleocapa, the harbor area full of open air restaurants, and a sunbather filled beachfront.

One of the most charming aspects about Savona is that it is relatively tourist free. On a sunny Saturday afternoon we were snapping photos in the historic center when a local resident approached us. He explained that he was a volunteer at the Cattedrale di Nostra Signora Assunta, the main cathedral, and went on to spout off a deluge of historic facts about Savona as he pointed out a few sights of interest we never would have noticed on our own. It’s not uncommon for local residents to jump at the chance to share their knowledge of their hometown with visitors, especially in cities that don’t see many tourists.

Some Savona History

The rivalry between Savona and Genova can be traced back over 2000 years to Roman times when the two cities backed different sides in the Punic wars. During medieval times, when rivalries between independent city-states were common, Genova and Savona, two great maritime powers, were at odds. The rivalry culminated when Genova conquered Savona in 1528 and constructed a large defensive fortress named Priamar at the edge of town. In order to build the Priamar the Genovese leveled the part of the city closest to fortress, including a beautiful cathedral and monastery. The remains have been excavated and are now an archaeological site. It’s said that Priamar was built as much for defense against attacks from the sea as it was against the city of Savona itself. Testament to this were cannons pointing towards the city rather than the sea.

Giuseppe Mazzini, an important figure in the Risorgimento, the effort to unify Italy into a sovereign nation, was imprisoned in Priamar for a time. Even Napoleon has passed through the town.

Perhaps the most interesting piece of history is that Savona is birthplace to two Popes, Julius II and Sixtus IV. Both were from the noble Rovere family. The Sistine Chapel in Rome was built for Pope Sixtus IV (Sistine derives from Sixtus). Savona, however, built the first Sistine chapel in honor of Pope Sixtus IV, and it was the chapel in Savona that inspired the one in Rome.

To see more of our pictures from Savona click here.

For the first time since we arrived in Italy we crossed the border into another country and spent a day in Nice. The three hour seaside train trip along the Italian Riviera Ponente and into France was just beautiful. The French coast, in particular, is absolutely stunning. The water turns a more turquoise shade of blue, and the hills rolling to the shore become greener and gentler, punctuated by pink clusters of buildings around every bay and cove.

In Nice there is the famous long, stony beach in front of the crystal clear azure water. Overlooking the beach is the Promenade d’Anglais, a leisurely pedestrian walkway with great people watching. Behind that, palm trees and grand pastel buildings line the coast as far as the eye can see. At the western end of the beach Colline du Chateu rises from the water for stretching views of the beach and city. The charming old town, full of restaurants and shops for the tourists, is nestled between the beach and the hill. The best attraction in old town is the many creperies where you can watch crepe makers expertly smooth batter over the special burners, knowing exactly when it’s time to flip and just how much nutella to spread over the warming treat.

One thing about Nice stands out is the abundance of English speaking! Walking down the street we heard just about as much English as we did French. In Genova it may be days between hearing English on the street. The variety of cuisine was also more extensive than what we’re used to. We found nearly every type of asian and middle eastern cuisine, particularly in the area near the train station. In the old town there are almost as much Italian restaurants as French ones, not to mention the numerous Irish pubs! One pub even broadcasts all kids of international sports, including baseball. Looks like we found a place to go if the Red Sox keep going strong!

For more photos of our trip to Nice, click here!

On Sunday the football (soccer) Gods smiled on Genova. With a tie against Napoli Genova’s football team, Genoa, ensured itself a berth in the most prestigious Italian football division, Serie A. This was a BIG deal for Genova. When the game ended at 5pm blasting car horns announced to the city that Genoa had clinched the berth. The ensuing celebration lasted well into the night. Thousands of ecstatic fans decked in Genoa’s colors (red and navy) gathered in Piazza de Ferrari waving flags and sounding fog horns. The celebrating went on and on well into the night.

A lesson about Italian football
Why all the fuss about a tie football game and moving to the next division? Italian football is divided into three divisions, Serie A, Serie B and Serie C. Serie C is composed of the lowest ranked teams mostly from very small cities; Serie B has the mid-level teams; Serie A is the best of the best with all the superstar players and the most elite level of play. Playing in Serie A is a big deal. At the end of the season the three best teams in each division advance to the division above, while the three worst teams fall to the division below. Teams can also be demoted for scandals or misbehavior as recently happened to one of Torino’s teams, Juventus, aruguably the most popular Italian football team. With Sunday’s tie game, the numbers worked out for Genoa to advance to Serie A. (Coincidentally, the tie also allowed Napoli to advance to Serie A).

A lesson about Genovese football
Genova has two football teams: Genoa and Sampdoria. Genoa is the oldest football team in Italy, formed in 1893 by British fishermen. Genoa has been working its way back up to Serie A for the past 12 years, quite a long time for the Genoa faithful. Sampdoria has been around since 1946 when two smaller teams, Sampierdarena and Doria, were merged into one. Sampdoria has enjoyed a berth in Serie A for the past many years. Now that both teams are once again in Serie A together, there will be some great derby games in Genova!

So for now, Genova is on top of the football world!

Parmigiano-Reggiano is a salty, flavorful type of hard cheese that is produced in the area around Parma in Emilia Romagna. The cheese is made at dairies called caseificio. You can take a tour of a caseificio to see the cheese making process, and of course, sample the finished product. See below for a photo tour of our visit to C.P.L caseificio in Parma. To see captions, hover over the slideshow and click the quote symbol on the bottom left of the slideshow.