Genoa’s Early Tram Network – Part 4 – World War 1 to World War 2

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The first three articles in this series covered the network as it was established by the beginning of the First World War. These articles can be found here, [1] here [2] and here. [3]

This map shows the three companies’ networks, that managed the Genovese tram network immediately prior to the date of unification under UITE – December 1901. The Green lines were UITE (the former French Company). The Red lines were SFEF. The Blue lines were SATO, © Arbalete and authorised for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [19]

We have already noted that there were changes to the network above which occurred before WW1, particularly the second line to Piazza Sturla in the East, the additional line to Sampierdarena in the West and the Municipal line to Quezzi in the Northeast.

In this article we look at the network from World War 1 to the beginning of World War 2.

After WW1 and into early WW2

In 1923, driving on the right was imposed on roads throughout the country (until then, individual cities had discretion over the matter).  Genoa complied on 31st August 1924. The change did not cause major upheavals in the tram service as it had always been undertaken by bidirectional carriages with doors on both sides. [19][21: p56]

In the mid 20s the autonomous municipalities between Nervi and Voltri along the coast, up to Pontedecimo in Val Polcevera and up to Prato in Val Bisagno, were annexed to the capital and a ‘Greater Genoa’ was formed. The entire tram network fell within the new municipal area. [19]

During this time UITE remained as a private company but the City acquired a majority of shares. [19][20: p223] and began to direct the development of the company and the network. [19][21: p62]

In 1934, major reform of the network took place. Trams ceased to use Via Roma, Via XX Settembre, and Piazza de Ferrari. The piazza saw major change – the lifting of the ‘tramway ring’ allowed, first, the planting of a large flower bed, and later (in 1936) the construction of a large fountain  designed by Giuseppe Crosa di Vergagni. The trams were diverted through Piazza Dante and Galleria Colombo which was newly opened. [20: p224] At the same time new lines crossing the city were activated, with the aim of better distributing passengers in the central areas. [19][21: p62] The following year the trams also abandoned Corso Italia, in favour of a new route further inland which also included the new Galleria Mameli. [19][21: p125]

The modernization of the network included renewal of the fleet of trams. That renewal commenced in 1927 with the introduction of ‘Casteggini’ (trolley/bogie trams – named after the UITE engineer who designed them). These were followed in 1939 by modern ‘Genoa type’ trams, [20: p657] built first as single units and then, from 1942, in an articulated version. [19][20: p660]

In 1935, the large Littorio depot near Ponte Carrega (Val Bisagno) came into operation. In 1940, workshop facilities were opened at the depot. [20: p237-238]

Italian Wikipedia tells us that after the changes made in 1934, the following list covers the tram routes on the network: [19][21: p125]

1 Banco San Giorgio – Voltri
2 Banco San Giorgio – Pegli
3 Banco San Giorgio – Sestri
4 Banco San Giorgio – Sampierdarena
5 Banco San Giorgio – Sampierdarena – Rivarolo
6 Banco San Giorgio – Sampierdarena – Bolzaneto
7 Banco San Giorgio – Sampierdarena – Pontedecimo
8 Banco San Giorgio – Sampierdarena – Campasso
9 Banco San Giorgio – Galleria Certosa – Rivarolo
10 Banco San Giorgio – Galleria Certosa – Bolzaneto
11 Banco San Giorgio – Galleria Certosa – Pontedecimo
12 Banco San Giorgio – Galleria Certosa – Certosa – Sampierdarena – Banco San Giorgio
13 The reverse of Line 12
14 Banco San Giorgio – Cornigliano
15 Banco San Giorgio – Pra
16 Brignole – Corvetto – Pegli
18 Marassi – Bolzaneto
21 Dinegro – Manin – Staglieno
22 Manin – Corvetto – Piazza Santa Sabina
23 De Ferrari – Marassi – Quezzi
24 Corso Dogali – Manin – Corvetto – Principe – Corso Dogali (circulating clockwise through the hills)
25 The reverse of Line 24  (circulating anti-clockwise through the hills)
26 Dinegro – Principe – via Napoli
27 Corso Dogali – Manin – Corvetto – Tommaseo
28 Principe – Corvetto – Via Atto Vannucci – Banco San Giorgio
30 De Ferrari – Foce
31 Banco San Giorgio – Staglieno – Prato
32 Banco San Giorgio – Molassana – Giro del Fullo

33 De Ferrari – Piazza Verdi – Staglieno
34 Piazza della Vittoria – Staglieno – San Gottardo – Doria
35 Piazza della Vittoria – Staglieno
36 Piazza della Vittoria – Ponte Carrega
37 De Ferrari – Piazza Verdi – San Fruttuoso
38 De Ferrari – Via Barabino – Boccadasse
39 De Ferrari – Sturla – Nervi
40 Banco San Giorgio – De Ferrari – Albaro – Quinto
41 Piazza Cavour – Via Barabino – Corso Italia – Priaruggia
42 De Ferrari – San Francesco d’Albaro – Sturla
43 De Ferrari – San Francesco d’Albaro – Lido
44 Banco San Giorgio – De Ferrari – Borgoratti
45 De Ferrari – San Martino – Sturla
46 De Ferrari – Tommaseo – San Martino
47 De Ferrari – San Francesco d’Albaro – Villa Raggio
48 Piazza Cavour – Piazza della Vittoria – San Fruttuoso
49 De Ferrari – Tommaseo – ‘Ospedale San Martino
50 San Martino – Brignole – Corvetto – Sampierdarena – Campasso
51 Quezzi – Brignole – Principe – Galleria Certosa – Rivarolo
52 San Giuliano – Brignole – Principe – Dinegro
53 Tommaseo – Brignole – Principe – Sampierdarena – Campasso
54 Sturla – Albaro – De Ferrari – Banco San Giorgio – Dinegro
55 Foce – Brignole – Principe – Dinegro
56 Marassi – Brignole – Principe – Dinegro

The lines marked with a red ‘X’ are those which closed in the city centre with the reorganisation of 1934, (c) Paolo Gassani. [8]

After 1934, Piazza Banco di San Georgio became the centre of the altered network (it was referred to originally as Piazza Caricamento). This was facilitated by earlier alterations to the network which included:

Piazza Railbetta, Piazza di San Georgio, Via San Lorenzo and Piazza Umberto 1

These earlier alterations included a very short line, shown on the Baedecker 1916 map of Genova, connecting Piazza Banco di San Georgio and Piazza Raibetta. In addition, a line along Via San Lorenzo and Piazza Umberto 1 made a connection from that short line to Piazza Raffaele de Ferrari which at the time was at the heart of Genova’s tram network. This three-way length of connecting tramways opened up the possibility of the significant revisions to the network which occurred in 1934.  The 1916 Baedeker map is the first I have found which shows these links, early Baedeker maps available online do not show these lines. There is photographic evidence of these lines being in use by 1906.

This extract from the Baedeker map of Genoa of 1916 shows the short additions to the network which directly connected Piazza Caricamento, Piazza Raibetta (along Via ) and Piazza de Ferrari, (c) Public Domain and provided by the stagniweb.it website under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 3.0). [4]
Via Frate Oliviero seen looking South from Piazza Banco de San Georgio (previously Piazza Caricamento) was the link between the two piazzas, Banco de San Georgio and Raibetta. This image comes from the 1950s and was shared on the Foto Genova Antica Facebook Group by Pietro Spanedda on 4th December 2022. [23]
Via San Lorenzo, looking East from close to its Western end, © Public Domain. [12]
A similar view looking East along the pedestrianised Via San Lorenzo in the 21st century. [Google Streetview, April 2019]
Via San Lorenzo looking East towards Piazza Raffeale de Ferrari, © Public Domain. [11]
A similar view, looking East on Via San Lorenzo in the 21st century. [Google Streetview, April 2019]

Ospidal Sant Andrea

An additional short line was provided from Piazza Galeazzo Alessi at the top of Via Corsica along Mura Sant Chiara, Mura del Prato, Viale Milazzzo and Via Alessandra Volta, as shown below.

A short length of additional tramway served the are immediately adjacent to Ospedal Sant Andrea above the old city walls, © Public Domain and provided by the stagniweb.it website under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 3.0). [4]

Corso Italia

Corso Italia was built between 1909 and 1915 [6] and the tram line to Foce was extended along Corso Italia sometime in the early 1920s. The tram line can be seen (dotted) on the map extract below.

Via Corso Italia looking East, © Public Domain. [7]
A similar view from ground-level looking East along Corso Italia in the 21st century. [Google Streetview, August 2024]
A postcard image showing a tram running along Corso Italia while the service was in operation. The photograph looks West along the shore, (c) Public Domain. [5]
A similar view in the 21st century. [Google Streetview, August 2024]
A tram is just visible on the left of this image. To the right of the tram, closer to the centre of the image is Villa Chiossone, © Public Domain. [10]
Villa Chiossone from a similar angle in the 21st century. [My photograph, November 2024]
Further East on Corsa Italia, © Public Domain. [9]
A similar view in the 21st century. [Google Streetview, August 2024]

Other links were added such as a line between Piazza Brignole and Piazza Giuseppi Verdi (outside Brignole Station). With the culverting of the Bisagno River in 1930/31, a link along Via Tolemaide from Piazza Verdi to meet the existing tramway which ran Northeast/Southwest on Via Montevideo and continued East towards San Martino, became possible.

Piazza Raffeale de Ferrari, Piazza Dante and routes East

We have already noted that Piazza Raffaele de Ferrari ceased to be the main focus of the network in 1934 and that trams were removed from Via XX Settembre and Via Roma at the time. What remained in the vicinity of Piazza de Ferrari was a single loop line were 11 lines from the East and Valbisagno terminated. The terminus was on Via Petrarca with a return loop through Via Porta Soprana and Via Antonio Meucci to
Piazza Dante and then on to their destinations. The first image below shows the revised arrangements on the South corner of Piazza Raffaele de Ferrari.

Trams which originally entered Piazza Raffaele de Ferrari from the north along Via Roma were diverted from Piazza Corvetto along Via Serra toward Piazza Brignole. More about this further down this article.

After tram lines were removed from Piazza De Ferrari in 1934, the terminus for trams from the East was in Via Fransecso Petrarca. Trams arrived through Piazza Dante( bottom-right on this image) and along Via Dante, turning left into Via Petrarca before returning by Via Porta Soprana, Via Antonio Meucci and Via Dante to Piazza Dante. [Google Maps, December 2024]
This view Northwest across Piazza Dante shows Via Dante heading towards Piazza de Ferrari on the right. Porte Soprana (city gates) are on the left, © Public Domain. [13]

A 600 series tram in Via Meucci on the return loop. The tram is approaching Via Dante where it will turn right to head East out of the centre of Genova, (c) Public Domain. [13]

Trams travelled up and down Via Dante and through Galleria Cristoforo Colombo to serve the East of the city and the coast.

This satellite image shows the tramway running along Via Dante to Galleria Cristoforo Colombo and beyond. [Google Maps, December 2024]
Tram tracks being installed in Via Dante in 1934. This image face Northwest, © Public Domain. [14]
A very similar view in the 21st century. [Google Streetview, August 2024]
This monochrome image from the 1950s/1960s shows a similar view of Piazza Dante. It comes from the collection of Frederico Ferraboschi and was shared on the http://www.stagniweb.it website. It is authorised for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 3.0). [15]
Galleria Cristiforo Colombo during construction in the 1930s, (c) Public Domain. [22]
The Southeast Portal of Galleria Chrisoforo Colombo opened out onto Piazza del Cavalletto and Via Giuseppe Macaggi, © Public Domain. [24]
The tram route we are following runs Southeast on Via Giuseppe Macaggi. Some trams turned North on Via Brigata Liguria and then Via Fiume to run through Piazza Giuseppe Verdi, and others continued East on Via Armardo Diaz. [Google Maps, December 2024]
Looking North along Via Brigata Liguria, © Public Domain. [25]
Looking South across Brignole Station in the 1930s.. Via Fiume and, beyond it, Via Brigata Liguria are on the right. Piazza Giuseppe Verdi is in front of the station. Trams from Via Fiume turned right to run across the face of the station building joining trams running from Piazza Brignole along a newly built link between Piazza Brignole and Piazza Verdi, © Public Domain. [26]

Via Edmondo de Amicis

When trams were diverted away from Piazza De Ferrari, those which used to travel down Via Roma were diverted along Via Serra and Piazza Brignole. A new length of tramway was built along Via Edmondo de Amicis to link Piazza Brignole with Piazza Verdi and Brignole Railway Station.

The revised route from Piazza Corvette to Piaza Verdi – a new length of tramway was built along Via Edmondo de Amicis to link Piazza Brignole with Piazza Verdi and Brignole Railway Station. [Google Maps, December 2024]
Piazza Giuseppe Verdi looking West. Hotel Verdi is in the centre of the image, with Via Edmondo de Amicis heading away from the camera on the right, © Public Domain. [27]
Avery similar view in the 21stcentury. Hotel Verdi dominates the photograph with Via Edmondo Amicis on the right and running away from the camera. [Google Streetview, July 2015]
A Genovese policeman directing traffic at the West end of Piazza Verdi as a tram approaches down Via Edmondo de Amicis, © Public Domain. [28]
A similar view (without the policeman) in the 21st century with a bus in place of a tram! [Google Streetview, August 2024]

Piazza Giuseppe Verdi

The station forecourt of Brignole Railway Station and the North side of Piazza Giuseppe Verdi became a significant hub within the new network  inaugurated in 1934.

Looking East across the face of Brignole Railway Station in the 1960s with the tram station in the centre of the view. This image was shared by Gianfranco Curatolo on the C’era Una Volta Genova Facebook group on 20th August 2016. [29]
Piazza Giuseppe Verdi and Brignole Railway Station in the 21st century. [Google Maps, December 2024]

East from Piazza Verdi (Via Tolemaide)

Major work was undertaken in the 1930s along the length of the River Bisagno from the railway to the sea shore. That full length of the river was converted and a broad boulevard was created.

The area around the station and the River Bisagno as shown on the Baedeker map of 1916, © Public Domain and provided by the stagniweb.it website under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 3.0). [4]
The area East of Brignole Railway Station in 1943, the green lines on this map extract are tramways. Via Tolemaide now makes a direct connection to Piazza Verde but this map indicates that during WW2 the link along Via Tolemaide had not been installed, © Public Domain (US War Office, 1943) and licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 3.0). [30]
Looking East along Via Tolemaide in the 1950s, a tram heading East has just passed the camera. The tunnel under the railway at this location (Via Archimede) is still in use in the 21st century. The dramatic Signal Box has gone! This image was shared on the Foto Genova Antica Facebook Group on 3rd January 2024 by Silvia Brisigotti. [31]
Via Tolemaide looking East in the 21st century. The road is now classed as highway SS1. [Google Streetview, August 2024]
This view looks West along Via Tolemaide in 1957, the rails on Via Tolemaide are being lifted after services along the route were curtailed. This image was shared on the C’era Una Volta Genova Facebook Group on 8th February 2020 by Alessandro Megna. [32]
A similar location looking West on Via Tolemaide (SS1) in the 21st century. [Google Streetview, August 2024]

Piazza Verdi (Brignole Railway Station), Viale Brigata Partigiane/Viale Brigata Bisagno, Via Barabino, Galleria Mameli, Via Carlo e Nello Rosselli and further East

The construction of Galleria Principe di Piemonte (later Galleria Mameli) allowed a further route East from the city centre to be exploited.

This is a drawing carried by Genova Rivista Municipale No. 10, October 1936. It shows the South Portal of Galleria Mameli (then known as Galleria Principe di Piemonte). The tunnel was constructed in the 1930s. The image was shared on the C’era Una Volta Genova Facebook Group by Mario Forni on 5th October 2020. [33]
Construction of Galleria Mameli took place in the early 1930s, © Public Domain. [34]
The interior of Galleria Principe di Piemonte (later Galleria Mameli) in 1936, © Public Domain. [35]
East of Galleria Mameli trams followed Via Carloe Nello Rosselli, Via Piero Gobetti, Via Renso Righetti and Via Oreste de Gaspari. [Google Maps, December 2024]
Via Carlo e Nelle Rosselli, looking South in the 21st century. [Google Streetview, August 2024]
Via Piero Gobetti looking East in the 21st century. [Google Streetview, August 2024]
Via Renzo Righetti, looking East in the 21st century. [Google Streetview, August 2021]
Via Oreste de Gaspari, looking Southeast in the 21st century. [Google Streetview, August 2024]
After Via Oreste de Gaspari, the line turner North along Via Felice Cavallotti and then made a junction with the tramlines running West-East on Via Caprera and on the Piazza Sturla. [Google Maps, December 2024]
The junction between Via Oreste deGaspari and Via Felice Cavallotti, seen from Via Oreste de Gaspari in the 21st century. [Google Streetview, August 2024]
The Junction between Via Felice Cavallotti and Via Caprere, looking North from Via Felice Cavallotti in the 21st century. [Google Streetviw, August 2024]

This map shows the route we have just followed. In later years the route was used by Line No. 16, (c) Paolo Gassani. [8]

References

  1. https://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/12/03/genoas-early-tram-network-part-1-general-introduction-tunnels-the-years-before-world-war-one-and-the-early-western-network.
  2. https://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/12/08/genoas-early-tram-network-part-2-the-western-half-of-the-eastern-network
  3. https://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/12/14/genoas-early-tram-network-part-3-the-remainder-of-the-eastern-network-before-the-first-world-war
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1 thought on “Genoa’s Early Tram Network – Part 4 – World War 1 to World War 2”

  1. Pingback: Genoa’s Early Tram Network – Part 5 – World War 2 to its decline and closure in the 1960s and the Rolling Stock used on the Network. | Roger Farnworth

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