It’s Genoa’s main square, and you only need to approach it to recognise it: the great circular monumental bronze fountain in the middle, surrounded by the sound of water and of Genoese crossing the square on their way to work, to the theatres, to the underground station. Piazza De Ferrari is named after Duke Raffaele De Ferrari di Galliera, the great Genoese patron who in 1875 donated a considerable sum to the Republic for the extension of the port. The current fountain dates to 1936 (architect Giuseppe Crosa di Vergagni, donated by the Piaggio family, refurbished in 2001 with new jets). Around it are concentrated some of the most important civic monuments of the city: the Palazzo della Borsa (Liberty 1906-1912), the Carlo Felice Opera House (Barabino 1828, rebuilt by Gardella in 1991 after the WWII bombings), Palazzo Ducale, the Palazzo della Regione Liguria, the Accademia Ligustica di Belle Arti. It’s the institutional, financial, cultural and transport centre of the city — the natural starting point for any visit.
Where it is
The address is Piazza Raffaele De Ferrari, 16121 Genova, between the Piccapietra district (to the east, towards Via XX Settembre and Brignole) and the old town (to the west, towards Piazza San Lorenzo and Sottoripa). It’s the central geographic node of modern Genoa — the meeting point between the medieval city and the nineteenth-century expansion.
On foot: two minutes from Palazzo Ducale and the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, five from the Musei di Strada Nuova, eight from the Porto Antico, ten from Brignole along Via XX Settembre. The De Ferrari stop on the AMT underground is right below the square (green line, 8 stops from Brignole).
All bus lines crossing the city centre stop at De Ferrari or nearby.
The history: from the earliest origins to the Duke of Galliera
The square has relatively recent origins compared to the rest of the old town. In the Middle Ages the area was occupied by the great Convent of San Domenico (thirteenth century) — one of the most important monastic complexes of the city, seat of the Dominican community until the Napoleonic suppression.
In 1828, following the suppression of the convent, the monastic buildings were demolished to make way for the construction of the new Carlo Felice Opera House by Carlo Barabino (see below) and for the opening of a new public square around the theatre.
The square was renamed in honour of Raffaele De Ferrari, Duke of Galliera (Genoa 1803 — Genoa 1876), the greatest Genoese patron of the nineteenth century. Member of one of the wealthiest families in Europe (the De Ferrari were bankers linked to the Brignole-Sale family), Raffaele had married Maria Brignole-Sale — the last heir of the Brignole-Sale, who would later donate to the Municipality of Genoa Palazzo Rosso (1874) and Palazzo Bianco (1884) with their art collections.
In 1875 Raffaele De Ferrari donated to the Genoese Republic — then the Kingdom of Sardinia, soon Italy — a substantial sum (several million lire) intended for the extension of the port. It is one of the greatest acts of civic patronage of nineteenth-century Italy. The new square was renamed in his honour: from that moment on it is “Piazza De Ferrari”.
The monumental fountain (1936)
The most iconic element of the square is the circular monumental bronze fountain, built in 1936 by architect Giuseppe Crosa di Vergagni and donated to the city by the Piaggio family (the same one that would produce the celebrated Vespa, founded by Rinaldo Piaggio in Pontedera in the early twentieth century). The fountain replaced an earlier, more modest nineteenth-century fountain.
The fountain is a great circular stone basin, with a central vertical jet of water about ten metres high. The basin sits slightly below the square’s pavement, creating a scenographic effect. In 2001 the fountain was completely refurbished: new water jets, some at pavement level (a “dancing fountain” effect), an additional basin, nighttime coloured lighting.
The evening effect is very evocative: the lit fountain, the sound of water detaching itself from the hubbub of the square, the reflections on the façades of surrounding palaces — it’s one of Genoa’s nighttime “calling cards”, frequently photographed by tourists and locals alike.
The Palazzo della Borsa (1906-1912)
On the north side of the square rises the Palazzo della Borsa, one of the finest examples of Liberty (Italian Art Nouveau) in Genoa. Built between 1906 and 1912 by engineers Dario Carbone and Amedeo Pieragostini, it was the seat of the Genoa Stock Exchange (later moved to Milan during the twentieth century).
The building stands out for its curved façade following the semicircular perimeter of the square, the Liberty decorations (floral motifs, friezes, mascarons), the great crowning element with dome and tympanum. It’s one of the most recognisable buildings in Genoa, also thanks to the large “BANCA CARIGE” sign (later replaced with others as the corporate structure changed) that characterises it visually.
Historically, Palazzo della Borsa is where Genoa handled its twentieth-century financial trades, before market globalisation. The first Italian Commodities and Securities Exchange had been founded in 1855 in the Loggia dei Mercanti in Piazza Banchi — the De Ferrari headquarters arrived half a century later, a signal of the financial centre shifting from the port area to the centre of the modern city.
The Carlo Felice Opera House (1828, 1991)
On the east side of the square stands the Carlo Felice Opera House, Genoa’s main lyrical theatre. Its history is in two phases:
First phase (1828): King Charles Felix of Savoy wanted a great theatre for melodrama, then hugely popular throughout Italy. The commission went to Carlo Barabino (Genoa 1768 — 1835), the leading Ligurian neoclassical architect. Barabino designed a monumental neoclassical building — Corinthian columns, pediment, horseshoe-shaped Italian auditorium — on the area previously occupied by the demolished Convent of San Domenico. Inauguration: 7 April 1828, with the opera “Bianca e Fernando” by Vincenzo Bellini.
Destruction (1942-1944): the Barabino theatre was seriously damaged by the Second World War bombings (fire in 1944 following the explosions). Only the external perimeter walls remained standing.
Second phase (1985-1991): in the early 1980s the reconstruction was decided. The commission went to the architect Ignazio Gardella (Milan 1905 — Oleggio 1999), one of the major Italian Rationalist architects of the twentieth century. Gardella preserved the surviving Barabino perimeter walls and rebuilt the interior in a modern key: tiered auditorium, technologically advanced stage, state rooms, Liberty foyer. Inauguration: 18 October 1991. The theatre has a capacity of 2,000 seats and is the home of the Fondazione Teatro Carlo Felice, one of the main Italian operatic foundations.
The Carlo Felice’s operatic season — works by Verdi, Puccini, Mozart, Wagner, Donizetti, and contemporary composers — is one of the pillars of Genoese cultural life. The theatre also hosts symphonic concerts, ballets, theatrical performances.
Palazzo Ducale and the other buildings
On the south side of the square opens the secondary entrance of Palazzo Ducale — the ancient seat of the Republic’s government, today the city’s main exhibition venue (international shows, cultural festivals). The main entrance to the palace is instead on Piazza Matteotti, on the opposite side.
Other important buildings overlooking the square:
- Palazzo della Regione Liguria: seat of the regional administration, an early-twentieth-century building.
- Accademia Ligustica di Belle Arti: founded in 1751, it is one of the oldest Italian art academies. It keeps a picture gallery with works of the Genoese school and teaches courses in painting, sculpture, design, and restoration.
- Palazzo della Nuova Borsa: an early-twentieth-century Liberty building, today home to banks and offices.
- Various commercial and administrative palaces from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with ground floors dedicated to offices, banks and commercial activities.
De Ferrari today: the city’s vital centre
The square is one of the most frequented places in Genoa. Thousands of people pass through every day — commuters heading to downtown offices, students, tourists, theatre- and culture-goers. It’s also a meeting point: “let’s meet at De Ferrari” is a recurring phrase among the Genoese.
In recent decades the square has been the subject of various urban renewal projects: pedestrianisation of some areas, fountain restorations, palace façade restorations, nighttime lighting. It is today a high-quality public space, frequented by locals and tourists in every season.
The square hosts major city events: political demonstrations, open-air concerts, sporting events (the starting area of some urban half-marathons), civic celebrations (Republic Day, the national holiday of 4 November), New Year’s Eve.
Practical information
Access: the square is fully public and free, accessible 24 hours a day. The fountain runs from April to October (turned off in winter for maintenance and to avoid freezing).
Transport: De Ferrari underground stop (green line) below the square. All AMT bus lines of the centre converge here.
Parking: the Piccapietra underground car park (200 metres away) is the most convenient. Limited Traffic Zone (ZTL) during the day in non-summer months.
What’s nearby
De Ferrari is the geographic centre of everything worth seeing in Genoa. 200 metres away is Palazzo Ducale, 300 the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, 500 the Musei di Strada Nuova, 700 the Porto Antico. It’s the point from which to start any itinerary.
Heading east, along Via XX Settembre (the great Liberty avenue), 5 minutes brings you to Ristorante Zeffirino (1939, Sinatra’s pesto) and the Mercato Orientale, 10 to Brignole station.
For lunch or dinner nearby: Zeffirino, Sa Pesta in the caruggi, Klainguti in Piazza Soziglia, Mangini in Piazza Corvetto. For an evening aperitivo: Les Rouges in Piazza Campetto, Jenoir.
