Description of the attraction
Boccadasse is one of the most popular tourist areas in Genoa, inhabited mainly by former sailors. It is located in the eastern part of the main city promenade - Corso Italia, a couple of steps from the narrow Via Aurora. Disputes about the origin of the name Boccadasse do not subside to this day: according to one of the most common versions, the name comes from the characteristic form of the local coast - "boca d'aze", which means "donkey mouth" in the local dialect of Italian.
Tourists love this ancient area for its narrow beaches, the picturesque Cape Santa Chiara with a medieval-style castle built on it (the castle itself was built in 1903) and cobblestone marinas with small boats of local sailors. Of the sights, the Church of Sant Antonio can be noted, which at the beginning of the 18th century was just a chapel. In 1787, the religious building was expanded and turned into a real church, which became a parish one hundred years later. In 1827 a bell tower was added to it. Inside, as with most Italian temples, numerous works of art can be seen. Today it is the only church in Genoa dedicated to Saint Anthony, the saint of Padua. In addition, it is one of the few religious buildings that have survived to this day after the creation of Boulevard Corso Italia. Behind the church there is a small square named after the poet Edoardo Firpo, from which wonderful panoramas open up.
Small colorful houses, a cozy piazzetta - Neptune Square overlooking a quiet bay, characteristic Italian streets with flowers in tubs and incredible views - all this creates a unique flavor of Boccadassa. The area looks the same today as it was a hundred or two hundred years ago. Many of its inhabitants - hereditary fishermen - continue to be engaged in family business. And at the same time, Boccadassa has many small restaurants, ice cream parlors and interesting art galleries.
