重返熱那亞：古城迷思

The sound of clinking silverware and

lunchtime conversations drifted into the alley through the dark green shutters of second-story windows. Up ahead， a pair of sculpted cupids floated above a pastry shop. I slowed down to inhale the sweet smell of baking.

A church bell rang as a woman approached me， “Scusi， signora， dov’è…”―I stopped her before she could ask directions. In my 2）shoddy Italian I explained with a smile that I was lost too. She smiled back and I went on my way， meandering through the shadowy paths of the historic center of Genoa.

Most of the time， getting lost brings on 3）grimaces rather than smiles. But losing direction in the maze of narrow and steep 4）medieval streets in Genoa’s Centro Storico， the historic center， could not have been more enjoyable.

The idyllic area， squeezed between the port and the city’s terraced hillside， is said to be the largest historical town center in Europe. Old walls and forts surround this 5）picturesque port city with its many Renaissance palaces and richly decorated churches.

The Cathedral of San Lorenzo is perhaps the most famous building besides the 16th-century Lanterna （lighthouse）―an emblem of Genoa. So I tucked away my impossible-to-follow map and discovered that surrendering to Genoa， letting her reveal herself， was the way to find the essence of the ancient city.

Genoa， beautifully situated on the Gulf of Genoa， an arm of the Ligurian Sea， is the chief seaport of Italy. The city is also a major commercial and industrial center. About 700，000 people call Genoa home.

One of them was my group’s guide， Micaela， a flaming red-haired 20-something part-time pop music singer. Like the rest of the Genovese， she was enthusiastic about introducing us to Genoa’s high-profile sights.

Genoa was named a European Cultural Capital in 2004， and locals like Micaela were pumped to show off their city， “Genoa， La Superba” （The Haughty）―this is the nickname the city took on during its 13th to 18th century maritime heyday.

But I found myself most attracted to Genoa the Humble. Micaela started us off at the Porto Antico （Old Harbor）， badly damaged in World War II and rebuilt in 1992， when Genoa celebrated the 500th anniversary of the voyage of its most famous native， Christopher Columbus.

I drifted from the modern plaza to the folksy food stalls. There， under sunflowercolored tents， cooks sold regional specialties. I spotted what was to become my favorite Genovese snack： thin， lightly salted focaccia bread， served hot and stuffed with melted cheese.

Closer into the historic center， we toured the palaces which encircle it. I admired the creamy yellow-and-rose 6）fa？ade of the Palazzo Ducale， which was formerly the Doges Palace. When I got closer， I realized I’d actually been admiring a masterpiece of 7）tromp l’oeil. “The Genovese have a reputation for being cheap，” explained Micaela. “They didn’t want to spend money on stone masons， so they perfected an art of painting to make three-dimensional effects.”

Shooting off from the cathedral square in all directions are the “8）doglegged” alleys（called carrugi） that make up the treasurefilled labyrinth of the old city. Curiosity 9）piqued， I went my separate way from the tour group to explore the mysterious pathways that cut between seven-story-high buildings.

This was once the site of chases and back stabbings between feuding families. But centuries later， my walk through it could not have been more peaceful. There were no cars， it was practically tourist-free， and I blended in with its working class locals.

It was like walking through an open-air museum， lit by slits of sunlight filtered through the shadows. I found 10）votive stone figurines jutting from second-story corners of pale gold and ochre buildings， and Biblical scenes cut in 11）friezes above the doorways.

One alley opened up to the Piazza Campetto， where I watched painters o n 1 2 ）s c a f f o l d i n g as they restored the 13）pastel fa？ade of the Imperial Palace. A steep stairway attached to the palace led me under starry frescoed ceilings to what was once the goldsmith’s 14）loggia. It’s now the home of Fabrorum， a store， laboratory and museum showcasing the traditional Genovese art of gold 15）filigree. Elegant rooms displayed everything from centuries old 16）chalices to gorgeous necklaces and earrings for sale.

I found Klainguti， a caffé or coffee shop， dating to 1826， where 17）Giuseppe Verdi hung out during the 40 winters he spent here. Past the counters of 18）confections， were small connecting Rococo salons featuring crystal cut mirrors and 19）chandeliers.

The stores I stumbled upon could have been roped off with velvet as displays of life in another century， each decked out with 20）baroque painted or sculpted signs. There were white-tiled butcher shops with 21）marble-slab counters， 22）pharmacies with colorful ceramic jars displayed in dark wood cases， and dusty engraving workshops.

Though the shopkeepers didn’t speak much English， I found browsing with smiles and hand signals was welcome. Unlike other Italian cities， the Genovese have not been burnt-out by an onslaught of tourists. As a result， the 23）authenticity of the city has not been compromised， the locals are patient and accommodating， and there were no overcrowded restaurants or long lines at museums.

At our farewell dinner that night， everyone in our travel group had stories to tell about their adventures in the “labyrinth.”

Tom had visited Genoa’s Jazz Museum， which chronicled the stars who had played at the city’s festivals and nearby coastal resorts. Antonia showed off a pair of pearly chic shoes she’d bought for a bargain.

I’d picked up a handmade cut glass lavender bracelet. It sparkled on my wrist as I made a toast： “To return for more days of getting lost and finding Genoa’s treasures.”

敲擊銀器和午餐聊天的聲音從二樓深綠色的百葉窗里飄到了小巷之中。繼續前行，一對丘比特雕飾浮現在糕點店門楣上。我放緩了步伐，深深吸入這烘烤的甜香。

教堂的鐘聲在回蕩，這時，一名女子向我走近，“對不起，女士，哪里……”——我在她打算向我問路之前就打住了她。我用自己稀爛的意大利語和微笑向她解釋說，我也迷路了。她對我回以微笑，然后我繼續自己的旅程，漫步于熱那亞歷史中心那些幽暗的小巷之中。

在絕大多數時候，迷路帶來的是古怪表情而非微笑。但在熱那亞的歷史中心——古城區那些狹窄而陡峭的中世紀街巷迷宮里失去方向，沒有什么比這更讓人愉快的了。

這片質樸宜人的地區，夾在海港和城內的山坡階地之間，被稱為是歐洲最大的古城。老城墻和堡壘環繞著這座別致的海港城市，城中有著許多文藝復興時期的宮殿和裝飾繁復的教堂。

建于16世紀的燈籠塔是熱那亞的標志。圣洛倫佐大教堂也許是其旁邊最著名的建筑了。所以我折起了自己那不可能看明白的地圖，發現干脆向熱那亞屈服，讓她自我揭示，那才是探索這座古城精髓的正確方式。

熱那亞城，優美地坐落在熱那亞海灣——利古里亞海的一條臂彎上，是意大利最重要的海港城市。這座城市也是主要的商業和工業中心。約七十萬人稱熱那亞為其家園。

其中之一便是我們團隊的導游米卡艾拉，一名有著火紅色頭發，二十出頭的兼職流行歌手。就像其他的熱那亞人一樣，她熱情洋溢地向我們介紹著熱那亞聲名遠揚的美景。