Via Canneto il Lungo is one of the most authentic alleys in the old city centre, at once popular, ancient and multi-ethnic, alive with voices, sounds, smells, music and scents.
“Canneto il Lungo”, in Italian, means “the long grove of reeds”, and this odd name dates back to before the 9th century, when this area lay out in the countryside, outside the town walls.
Starting from Early Middle Ages, this ditch of whispering reeds first filled with craftsmen’s workshops and inns, then with noble mansion houses with beautifully decorated gateways, loggias and tall brick towers, some of which are still standing to this date.
Nowadays, this is a busy shopping area, with delis selling both Italian and foreign food, small handicraft shops, restaurants serving exotic cuisine, as well as trendy boutiques and fashion studios.
Going towards the sea, where Canneto beomces Vico Caprettari, there is a beautifully restored floral-style Art Nouveau barber’s shop, which is still in business with the support of F.A.I. (Fondo per l’Ambiente Italiano), Italy’s National Trust. Via Canneto il Curto, literally “the short grove of reeds”, crosses Via Canneto and Vico Caprettari at a right angle and is part of the straight lane that crosses the old town centre running parallel to the coastline. This alley is as much alive with multi-ethnic crowds and multi-coloured food shops as its “longer” brother. The network of increasingly narrowing side-alleys leads visitors to architectural beauties that may well be unknown to most Genoese. A case in point are Piazza Luxoro and Piazza Sauli, with their porticoes with animal-shaped capitals, sculpted marble gateways, stone towers and decorated façades.