Uso e riuso delle ville genovesi tra trasformazioni urbane e tutela

Genoa was known, until the 18th century, for the beauty of its gardens and villas that dotted the surroundings of the walled city. Industrialization, the construction of infrastructures and urban expansion, starting from the nineteenth century, have rapidly and strongly altered the landscape, particularly in the West. These transformations also affected the villas which became schools, hospitals, barracks, warehouses, etc.; the direct link with their gardens has been interrupted, invading them with industrial sheds, streets and buildings. In light of research carried out in the archives of the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of the metropolitan city of Genoa, this contribution intends to reflect on the uses, not always compatible, which these villas and their gardens hosted, in relation to the cultural context, the local urban history and the conservation requests put forward by the protection body.