Once again this year, the city of Genoa is celebrating Columbus Day, honoring the most famous Genoese in history. On Sunday, October 12, the city will host the 34th edition of I Chiostri del Tempo di Colombo (The Cloisters of Columbus’s Time), organized by the National Committee dedicated to the great explorer.
I Chiostri del Tempo di Colombo offers “a journey through the ancient cloisters to rediscover the 15th-century Genoa where Columbus spent his youth.” The event is sponsored by the Region of Liguria, the Metropolitan City, and the municipalities of Genoa and Savona.
The day will begin at 3 p.m. at the so-called “House of Columbus,” where participants will explore the explorer’s early life and family origins. From there, a procession will set out featuring historical groups representing the Old World and Latin American groups representing the New World. The parade will pass through Piazza De Ferrari and continue along Via San Lorenzo, arriving at the Cathedral around 3:30 p.m., before reaching the Old Port at Calata Falcone Borsellino around 4 p.m.
Throughout the afternoon, visitors can enjoy a variety of performances – from archery demonstrations and theatrical reenactments to readings of historical texts from the Age of Discovery. There will also be staged duels between rival Genoese families, adding a touch of drama to the festivities. The program combines education, tradition, and entertainment in a lively celebration of Genoa’s rich maritime past.
The event will conclude with a reenactment of Columbus’s landing in the “Indies,” followed by the singing of the Salve Regina – the hymn that, according to tradition, his crew intoned on that fateful day in 1492.
