Would you rather visit “the learned city” or “the city of three missing things?” The next time you visit “the Boot,” as Italians affectionately call their country, reflect on some of the amusing, charming and heartfelt nicknames for Italy’s favorite cities.
- Valentina_A / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA
Be Superb in Genoa
Over in Genoa, where Christopher Columbus was born, locals reference the city’s huge seaport and important past when they call it “the superb one.” Genoa isn’t only famous for trade and seafarers like Columbus, however. During the city’s heyday in the 1600s, it was a magnet for artists who hoped to find inspiration there. Rubens and Caravaggio both spent time here. The nickname could also refer to the city’s ability to rebound from armed attack. Genoa’s natural harbor made it a logical place to base for the Etruscans, the Ligurians and the Greeks. None of these groups gave up without a fight and, after the Roman Empire declined and the Ostrogoths invaded, the Lombards and the Franks followed. It was completely sacked by pirates around the year 900 A.D., yet managed to rise again to the power and prosperity that continues there to the present day.
Be Educated in Bologna
For example, Bologna: One of the wealthiest cities in Italy, Bologna has a reputation for being an important center of culture in the north. In fact, the city got one of its nicknames because of the prominence of the University of Bologna, the oldest such institution of learning in the world. Thus, it’s not too surprising that some of its residents call their fair city “the learned one.” When you stay at a Bologna bed and breakfast found on Venere.com, you’ll no doubt hear residents refer to their city as such.
- mariocutroneo / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND
Be Happy in Palermo
Another city with an interesting nickname is Palermo, Sicily’s administrative capital. Like Genoa, it owes a lot to its natural harbor and strategic location for sailors throughout history. It’s said that Palermo’s beautiful location and many landmarks are what make it the “happy” city. This may have one of the oldest official nicknames in Italy — Peter of Aragon called it the “happy” city as early as the 1200s. Set between rolling hills around the broad seafront, Palermo is also graced with one of the warmest climates in Europe. All of this, plus the riches brought in by sea trade and the colorful mementoes left by the myriad cultures that have conquered, held or simply passed by Sicily make it seem that “the interesting city” would also be a reasonable nickname.
- antonychammond / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA
Be Aware of What You Don’t Have in Padua
One of the strangest city nicknames in Italy is Padua’s. Another northern city, Padua once was the home of Galileo, who lectured at the university here. Additionally, it’s said to be the oldest city in Italy. But neither of those interesting facts earned it a nickname. Instead, the locals have focused on what the city doesn’t have and named it “the city with three missing.” The first “missing” thing is the need to finish the name “St. Anthony of Padua;” simply saying “the Saint” will suffice. The second thing is the doors on the Café Pedrocchi. Established in the late 1700s, this café does not have physical doors. The third thing missing is the grass at the Prato della Valle, the largest square in Italy. While it does have grass today, in the 1800s there were so many trees on the square that it prevented a lawn from forming.
Author: Louise Vinciguerra is a fantastic joke teller, has a million and one hobbies, and enjoys matching her fonts with her moods. This Brooklyn native dirties her hands in content on weekdays and as a devout nature lover, dirties them in soil on the weekends. When she’s not on Facebook, WordPress or Twitter, she’s traveling in search of fun food, dabbling in urban farming or planning nature trips from her resident city of Rome. When she’s not doing any of the above, she sleeps.