Today, Genoa is a candidate to become, thanks to its port, a strategic starting point for the new 21st century Silk Road. The Belt & Road project, launched by the People's Republic of China, is a great opportunity for the Ligurian capital, which intends to grasp the advantages represented by this project destined to change the dynamics not only of world trade, but also of the geopolitical landscape of this area.
But Genoa already has some Eastern ‘flavor.’
Not far from the city center, the Villetta di Negro historical building houses the largest collection of oriental art in Italy, with exhibits from China, Japan and Thailand.
Among the works exhibited here are the engravings and paintings by Chiossone, an Italian artist who lived for a long time in Tokyo, and to whom the museum is dedicated and named after.
It is a collection of works and also a homage to a Genoese citizen who has lived far away from home, but who has never forgotten his origins, a man who studied at the Japanese Polygraph Institute and who chose to share his love for Japanese art with his city. The rich heritage of Japanese and Oriental art, collected by Chiossone in Japan during the Meiji period by the artist, is now open to the public.
The museum houses works from various eras: painting (from the eleventh to the nineteenth century), weapons and armors, enamels, ceramics, porcelains, prints, musical instruments, theatrical masks, costumes, fabrics and a rich collection of sculptures from the Far East.
Oriental Art Museum in Genoa
In addition to the Oriental Art Museum, it is also worthwhile to discover another place which is very popular with those who live in Genoa: the Eastern Market.
Called Oriental because it is near the eastern gate of the city of Genoa and because they sell Eastern spices here, it was inaugurated in 1899 according to an initial project from 1699, hosted in a cloister of the convent of Our Lady of Consolation.
As soon as you enter the Eastern Market you find yourself surrounded by a myriad of perfumes and the view rejoices from the many goods well exposed in the stalls: fruit and vegetable compositions put on display as paintings, fragrant plants and flowers, exotic fruits and spices.
A set of smells and tastes that captures the palate and makes your mouth water.
Since we are in Liguria, you can also find typical Ligurian products such as Genoese basil, the main ingredient of pesto, candidate to become a protected heritage of Unesco.
Other quality local products include: oil and olives from the Ligurian Riviera and salted anchovies caught in the Ligurian Sea. The market can be accessed from via XX Settembre, the main street in downtown Genoa.
After undergoing an extensive renovation which transformed it into a street food destination open until late at night, the new Oriental Market has added a raised floor with tables for dining in.
The newly restored spaces now offer a ground floor open to the street with retail counters and an open market, while the upper floor, newly created and co-financed by the Municipality and the sponsors, was transformed into a large space dedicated to wine and food, with over 300 seats, a restaurant, a café and 11 corners dedicated to Eastern and Italian street food, strictly certified from the point of view of origin of its products and ingredients. The project also added a raised stage that will host concerts, shows and other initiatives organized within the new structure in the upcoming months.
Mercato Orientale, selling spices
