Visiting Genoa, the Lady of the Sea, is always a wonderful idea. Those who see this city for the first time are surprised and captivated by its caruggi, by the stunning Palazzi dei Rolli, by the grandeur of the Porto Antico, by the breathtaking view that can be enjoyed from Spianata Castelletto. But Genoa has so much more to offer, and for this reason, when you leave the city after visiting it for perhaps one, two or three days, the desire to return to its narrow streets immediately ignites, knowing that there is still so much to discover. Also because Genoa is a city that changes, in a continuous struggle to improve itself. And certainly among the novelties in recent years of the Ligurian capital are the numerous murals, which due to the quality of the paintings and the subjects treated end up interesting and fascinating everyone, even those who would not be inclined to take an interest in mural painting. But what are the most famous murals in Genoa?

The Certosa District and the On The Wall Project

We all know what happened in Genoa at 11:30 AM on August 14, 2018. In the midst of a summer storm, the Morandi Bridge, the A10 viaduct that runs over the Polcevera, collapsed on itself, bringing death and destruction with it. That atrocious accident, which led to 43 victims, still represents an open wound that will require many more years to be completely healed. But several interventions have been made to restore that part of the city and to overcome the tragedy: among these is precisely the On The Wall project, which focuses mainly on the Certosa district, not coincidentally the most affected by the bridge collapse. Within this initiative, 15 Italian and international artists have created stunning murals on the facades of Genoa, putting beauty and art at the service of a city eager to overcome a terrible tragedy. It should also be said that the relationship between Genoa and murals had been strengthened several years earlier, starting for example with the 2016 project Walk The Line, aimed at painting the over 100 pillars of the elevated road that crosses the city with works by writers from around the world.

The Most Beautiful and Famous Murals in Genoa

In Genoa there are so many murals that it is really difficult to make a selection of the most beautiful ones. Think for example of the magnificent mural depicting Paolo Villaggio, in the guise of his iconic character Fantozzi, an unsurpassable mask for ironically telling the dramas of our country between the sixties and eighties: his scrutinizing face, painted by Rosk and Loste, is impossible not to see during a visit to the Certosa district. Also in the Certosa district there are other murals that alone are worth a visit, such as “The anchovies play ball” by Caktus & Maria, the complex “Deconstruction/Reconstruction” by Greg Jager, the mystical “Ancient way of the new circle” by Gola Hundun, and many others. Another justly famous mural is the one dedicated to the firefighters, which bears the signature of Drina A12 and Giuliogo: here we are talking about a work of 180 square meters, in via 20 giugno, near the new San Giorgio bridge.

And it must be said that many murals and graffiti of great curiosity also appear where you would not expect them. Think of the painting that depicts a smiling Peppino Impastato in vico della Rosa, or the various murals that, among the caruggi, depict the street priest Don Andrea Gallo. And it is certainly worth taking a walk among the pillars of the Aldo Moro Elevated Road, just a few steps from our tourist marina in Genoa, to discover the many murals that adorn them!