The Confuoco event (literally ‘with fire’) was supposed to be a good omen, and so it was indeed.
The fire rose high into the sky as a sign of good luck for a prosperous 2026, and the laurel stump, the traditional ceremony of burning twigs in the city hall square was lit by our mayor, after the customary auspicious toast and the presentation of the burning vase, a ceramic work born from the creativity of local artists.
A precious hand-painted ceramic vase and a work that expresses the themes of peace through the delicate details and the strength of the Ligurian tradition.
After the Confuoco procession which paraded through town, it arrived to the city hall square which was filled with citizens and various associations along with journalists and passersby.
The procession opened with the drums and trumpets of the local orchestra, followed by several guest groups and associations.
The costumes worn by the participants are original in the sense that they faithfully recreate the historical-medieval and Renaissance style, through careful research carried out by the associations which keep the tradition alive by bringing back to life the ceremony that was already in vogue in the 14th century, uniting all: Ligurian history, dialect and tradition.
Once the parade ended and the traditional vase was deposed in the Town Hall Square, the people from the crowd were then able to take branches from the laurel tree as tradition dictates.
Once they took a branch they could throw it in the bonfire themselves and make a wish for the upcoming year.
The origin of such tradition is very ancient, dating back to the Saturnalia of the Roman times.
The first historical records date this tradition to the third decade of the 14th century even. The tradition survived in Genoa until 1796, when it was abolished by the newly formed Democratic Republic of Genoa. Confuoco was also celebrated in nearby Savona throughout the Middle Ages. Its characteristic was its great popular participation and it is now more common to attend the ceremony here than in Genoa itself.

Back in the 15th century, it started as every year on Christmas Eve, the men of the countryside brought gifts to the local lords. Such gifts consisted of a large quantity of pigs, lambs, capons, meat, and other delicacies, transported on two oxen-drawn carts decorated with floral arrangements and flags bearing the municipal coat of arms. They would then make a bonfire and wish for a prosperous new year of blessings. With the loss of municipal autonomy in 1528, the ceremony took on the significance of an exchange of courtesies between the city authorities.
In the ‘30s a local association, guardian of local customs and traditions, decided to revive the Confuoco ceremony by using the medieval methods and ceremonies and it is said that the first ceremony took place in 1933. Since then, every year on the Sunday before Christmas, a procession has made its way from the Brandale to the Town Hall Square in Savona and from the port area to the Town Hall Square in Genoa.
Ligurian ceramic tradition is particularly felt. Each piece is handmade in white ceramic: it is first fired at around 1,000 degrees Celsius, then hand-painted and glazed, and finally fired again at a lower temperature.
The Genoese ceramic is traditionally painted in white and blue although more modern versions are adding more colors and patterns that are far from classic.
This is the land of ceramics and, during the 20th century numerous artists both local and international left their mark and distinguished themselves in the art of ceramics in this region.