Happy Easter, Genoa. Happy Easter to those who today wake up in our homes looking out over the caruggi for the first time, and happy Easter to those who have entrusted us with these homes. As the city slowly awakens on this April Sunday, we are already in motion: fresh linens, keys ready, genuine smiles for the guests arriving. For those in hospitality, holidays are the most intense days of the year. And we wouldn’t change a thing.
From the midst of an operational day, we take a moment to write this article as a gift to our readers, our guests and those who support us every day. Because Genoa at Easter has a particular flavor, made of ancient traditions and doors that open.
The 33 layers of the Easter pie
There is a number that resonates in Genoese kitchens at Easter: thirty-three. That is how many layers tradition calls for in the torta pasqualina, one for each year of Christ. Thin as veils, transparent enough to read through, they are spread one upon another with monastic patience. Genoese grandmothers used to say they had to be so thin you could read a love letter through the dough.
The torta pasqualina is more than just a dish: it is a ritual. It is prepared on Holy Saturday, when the bells fall silent and the city holds its breath. The filling of Swiss chard, ricotta, marjoram and eggs hides in the deep green of the herbs the promise of rebirth. The eggs, sunk whole into the dough, emerge like little golden suns when the first slice is cut.
“A torta pasqualina a l’è a regina de tùtte e torte”
— Genoese saying: “The torta pasqualina is the queen of all pies”
Every family jealously guards its own recipe, passed down from mother to daughter. Some add a pinch of nutmeg, others swear by the presence of artichoke. But the number of layers remains unchanged: thirty-three, as tradition requires, rooted in the Middle Ages, when Genoa was already master of the Mediterranean.
The blessing of homes and the sound of bells
On Easter morning, Genoa awakens to the sound of bells. From the Cathedral of San Lorenzo to the small oratory of San Filippo Neri, every bell tower participates in the concert announcing the Resurrection. It is the time of blessing homes, when parish priests walk through the caruggi with holy water and families open their doors.
Alessandro.photographer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In the alleyways of the historic center, this tradition takes on a particular charm. Medieval dwellings, squeezed between slate walls, open to welcome the blessing. It is a moment of community, when Genoese people—notoriously reserved—come out onto landings and greet each other. Children wait for the priest with bunches of olive branches blessed the previous Sunday, and ladies prepare small gifts to thank him.
Easter processions in the seaside villages have an even more ancient flavor. At Boccadasse, the small wooden Christ is carried along the promenade overlooking the bay, while the April sea reflects the pastel colors of the houses. It is a Genoa that reveals itself in its truest intimacy, far from tourist circuits but open to those who know how to look at it with respect.
The Easter lunch: cima, lamb and the first sweets of spring
If the torta pasqualina is the queen of appetizers, cima alla genovese is the undisputed star of the Easter meal. This elaborate stuffed veal dish—with its filling of eggs, sweetbreads, peas and marjoram—represents the essence of Genoese cooking: humble in its basic ingredients but extraordinarily rich in wisdom and patience.
The preparation of cima begins the day before: the veal pocket is sewn with needle and thread after being carefully filled. During the long cooking, the house fills with aromas of celebration. It is served cold, sliced thickly, accompanied by salsa verde—the humble pesto made with parsley, capers, anchovies and hard-boiled eggs.
“Pasqua sensa cima a l’è comme l’inverno sensa neuve”
— Genoese saying: “Easter without cima is like winter without snow”
Lamb, a more recent but now established tradition, is prepared with herbs from the Genoese hills: rosemary, thyme, marjoram. The side dishes speak of spring: spiky artichokes from the Riviera, green beans, new potatoes. And then the desserts: besides the classic colomba, Genoa still prepares the Easter pandolce, a lighter spring version of the Christmas one, fragrant with orange blossoms.
What to do today in Genoa: between free museums and treasure hunts
Easter 2026 in Genoa offers unique opportunities to discover the city. The first Sunday of Easter coincides with the “Sunday at the Museum” initiative, which opens state museums in the city for free. It’s the chance to visit Palazzo Rosso and Palazzo Bianco without rushing, or to climb to the Museum of Palazzo Reale and admire the Savoy apartments.
At the Lanterna, the city’s iconic symbol, a special day is planned with free workshops and egg hunts for the little ones. The event “Easter and Easter Monday 2026 at the Lanterna” transforms the monumental complex into a great Easter playground, where families can celebrate the holiday in a unique setting.
For those who prefer the intimate atmosphere of small villages, Recco hosts “Easter City 2026”, an event that celebrates Easter among local gastronomic specialties. It’s the opportunity to taste the authentic Recco cheese focaccia, recognized by UNESCO, and to walk along the seafront promenade that connects the village to Camogli.
Palazzo Ducale presents “Singer-songwriters, Pop and Rap. Points of View”, an exhibition that tells the story of Italian music evolution through Genoa, a city that gave birth to Fabrizio De André and continues to be a musical laboratory. A different way to celebrate Easter, through the notes that made the history of Italian song.
Easter walks: from the caruggi to the sea
Easter is the ideal time for the first spring walks. The historic centre, free from Sunday traffic, lends itself to being discovered slowly. Starting from Via del Campo – the one sung by De André – you can climb towards the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, admire the treasure of the Holy Grail and lose yourself in the maze of alleyways that open like fans.
The funicular ride up to Castelletto offers the most beautiful view of the city as it awakens. The public gardens, with their first spring flowers, become a natural stage for impromptu picnics and moments of contemplation. The gaze stretches from the Porto Antico to the inland mountains, in an embrace that contains all of Liguria.
For those who love the sea, the Anita Garibaldi Promenade in Nervi offers three kilometers of pure beauty. Rocky outcrops alternate with small coves, while Liberty villas tell the story of Genoa’s Belle Époque. The Nervi parks, with their botanical collections, are a triumph of colors and fragrances celebrating nature’s rebirth.
The day can conclude in Boccadasse, where the small fishing village takes on the colors of sunset. Pastel-colored houses are mirrored in the calm waters of the bay, while seagulls trace circles in the sky. It’s the most photographed Genoa, but also the one that best represents the city’s welcoming soul.
Open churches and sacred heritage
Easter is an opportunity to discover Genoa’s sacred heritage, often overlooked by mass tourism. The Cathedral of San Lorenzo, with its black and white striped facade, houses the Treasure Museum where the Holy Grail is said to be preserved. Tradition holds that it is the cup used at the Last Supper, which arrived in Genoa during the Crusades.
The Church of Gesù, on Via del Campo, amazes with its polychrome marbles and frescoes by Rubens. San Siro, the city’s oldest cathedral, preserves the intimate atmosphere of the early Christian communities. Santa Maria di Castello, with its fifteenth-century cloister, offers an oasis of peace in the pulsating heart of the city.
Each church has its own particular story, linked to the aristocratic families who governed Genoa. The Spinola, Doria, and Pallavicini families have left traces in their private places of worship, chapels that are small treasures of art. It is an immense heritage, which Easter allows you to discover with a different spirit.
We do this work because we believe that every home tells a story, and that every guest brings a piece of the world to share. To those who entrust their homes to us, goes our daily gratitude. To those who are thinking of joining our family, we say that the door is always open, like Genoese homes at Easter when the blessing arrives.
Happy Easter, Genoa. May this day bring into your homes – those of the heart and those that welcome travelers – the joy of spring and the warmth of hospitality that feels like home. If Genoa is calling you for the upcoming holidays, we are here, as always, with keys in hand and a smile ready.
