Bustling Hub: Laura Carrara-Cagni's Hometown
Prominent Architect Laura Carrara-Cagni Returns to Renaissance Genoa
After living in various cities including Milan, Naples, and Florence, Laura Carrara-Cagni, an architect and urban planner, returned to her roots in Genoa. Born to a Ligurian family, she spent her teenage years to late twenties in the historic port city before moving away.
Upon her return, Genoa welcomed Carrara-Cagni with its characteristic warmth and resilience, a quality she finds intriguing even after all these years. The city, known for accommodating newcomers since its established days as a maritime republic, offers a mix of complexity and beauty amid its historical center and rough edges.
For Carrara-Cagni, Genoa is a city of contrasts. Moving through the labyrinthine medieval old town, she marvels at the constantly changing landscape of residential buildings, workshops, family businesses, and shops. The old town, one of the largest historic centers in Europe, is a maze of narrow alleyways where one can almost touch both walls with an outstretched arm.
While much of the medieval old town remains to be restored, revitalization efforts are underway, attracting more residents to the bustling centro storico. Despite the need for further improvement, the city still thrills Carrara-Cagni, a true reflection of her work as an architect striving to bring every space to its best form.
Beyond the old town, Carrara-Cagni points out the nineteenth-century new town with wider streets and ornate buildings, giving way to the 1930s additions. Here, unsure of styles, she feels everyone gets lost and finds fascination in contrasting neoclassical and rationalist buildings. One notable structure that resonates with her is the former Mercato del Pesce, a covered fish market, once her thesis building and still charming despite its reshaping by the construction of an elevated road.
Carrara-Cagni notes that Genoa boasts a long history, dating back to prehistoric times and featuring a significant settlement by the ancient Ligures. The city's renown stems from its maritime power and important figures, such as Christopher Columbus. Despite the Spanish discrepancy on Columbus's origins, Genoa proudly wears its legacy, showcasing the colonnade garden of his birth home and iconic gardens shaped as the three caravels.
As a testament to the quality of life in Genoa, Carrara-Cagni mentions the locals' reluctance to move away, even when work prospects might not be favorable. Swimming in town, savouring focaccia with a sea view during a short lunch break, and rambling from fort to fort on the hills are part of Genoa's charm, drawing visitors to rediscover its hidden treasures.
In concluding her contemplation on Genoa, Carrara-Cagni expresses her love for the city, admitting that she wasn't truly a newcomer, as her family remained in the Ligurian region and she ultimately left only to broaden her horizons. As time passes, she continues to find herself returning to unearth the secrets of the centuries-old city.
- In her return to Genoa, Laura Carrara-Cagni, an architect specializing in urban planning, envisions integrating her skills to revitalize the city's home-and-garden spaces and historical buildings, contributing to a rich lifestyle.
- As Carrara-Cagni delves deeper into Genoa's history, she plans to immerse herself in the city's real estate market, understanding both the ancient and modern architecture amidst the central business district and new town, with the aim of promoting sustainable development.
- On weekends, Carrara-Cagni takes advantage of her Genoa residency, exploring various travel destinations near the city, such as the productivity-rich vineyards and rural landscapes, integrating work with leisure while learning more about the Ligurian region's lifestyle and culture.
