2004 in Genoa will be a great "voyage" in various forms, animating and exalting the Genovese cultural panorama, from classicism to innovation, from tradition to research. The city is putting on a rich calendar that features art exhibits and dance recitals, scientific conferences and theatre performances, avant-garde architecture and international concerts.

The Age of Rubens:
Genovese Homes, Patrons and Collectors
20 March - 11 July

The Palazzo Ducale, the beating heart of Cultural Genoa, will host this show about the great painters of the 16th and17th centuries. The most important works of some of the first bourgeois private collections will be exhibited, including Rubens, Van Dyck, Tintoretto, Buegel, Caravaggio, Guido Reni, Bernado Strozzi, Titian, Veronese and others.

Network of Historical Museums
Via Garibaldi, the old Strada Nuova, fulcrum for the 16th century nobility, is one of the most fascinating historical urban centres in Europe. Its 3 most prestigious palaces, Palazzo Rosso, Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Tursi, will be linked together along with Palazzo Spinola di Pellicceria and Palazzo Reale to become one coherent exhibition space, a museum network dedicated to historical art.

January
Carlo Felice Opera House
The splendid backdrop of the Opera House will host the opening concert of 2004. A Turadot, featuring a world premiere finale composed by Luciano Berio and Verdi's Simon Boccanegra will be the highlights of the opera season.

Inauguration of the Museum of Genoa and Genovese Identity in the Fortifications of the Lanterna.
The Fortifications at the Lanterna, symbol of the city of Genoa, will be the evocative site of a new museum space. Various interactive work stations, plasma screens, holographic projections, and actual current films as well as those from the archival repertory will present history, images and environments that recreate the spirit of Genovese identity.

March-December
The Rolli and Historical Genovese Palaces
These historical palaces that used to host illustrious guests in Genoa will be the object of restoration and enhancement and the focus of a show at Palazzo Tursi

May-July
Inside the Sacred Face of Christ
For the first time, the triptych that contains the imprint of the Sacred Face of Christ will be reassembled from the icons preserved at the Monastery of Saint Catherine of Sinai in Egypt.

4-6 June
Meeting of Ligurian Confraterinities from around the world.
The great Christs of Liguria and America combine with the treasures of the casacce, the Ligurian associations for social assistance and mutual aid, for a spectacular parade of international importance.

October
Paganiniana
The creative genius of Paganini from virtuosity to musical innovation: a festival and a prize for young violinists.

Oct 04 - Jan 05
The Ligurians
For the first time, an attentive reconstruction of the Ligurian people in pre-Roman Italy through archeological documentation and multimedia support.

Wooden Sculpture in Liguria (12 - 16th centuries)
A patrimony of outstanding importance, almost completely unknown, for the first time presented to a wide public.

Transatlantic Ocean Liners
29 May - 1 Nov
Genoa, Capital of the Sea, relives its most fascination epopea by focusing on the world of transatlantic ocean liners in a great show that will have its epicentre at the Porto Antico together with other docking places that will involve the whole city.

Museum of the Sea and Navigation
In the Darsena area that has been entirely restored and revived, an extended network of entertainment and culture will be dedicated to the Sea and Adventure. A museum complex, the largest in Europe, that in approximately 10, 000 m2 and over 20 exhibition spaces will present a voyage through time and the culture of the sea.

January
Children and the Mediterranean
Conference promoted by the Gaslini Foundation to widen attention on the conditions of children throughout the Mediterranean, focusing attention on the problem of physical and mental health.

12-21 March
Universal Exhibition of Jazz
The world of Jazz in an international exhibition linked to the best performances in the city's theatres.

March - December
The Aquarium for Genoa 2004
The biggest aquarium in Europe becomes a major player in the 2004 events with two great shows, with exhibits centred on marine life in its macroscopic and microscopic dimensions: Do You Know What's Underneath? And Natures Transatlantic Ocean Liners.

April

Inauguration of the Ethnographic Museum "Castello D'Albertis"
The museum will be part of the museum network dedicated to the sea and adventure. Inside the structure, the ethnographic and archaeological material gathered by Captain Enrico Alberto d'Albertis during his voyages will be displayed.

May - July

Genoa City of Know-How
Exhibit and events on the culture of work, technology and modernization in Genoa, starting in the nineteenth century.

Summer
Genoa Summer
The traditional big summer event in Genoa is more fascination in 2004 with Festivals of Poetry, music, cinema and multiethnicity, accompanied by concerts of pop and rock music.

28 Oct - 8 Nov
Festival of Science
The international festival for the spreading of science and technology in a broader, enriched version for 2004. Exhibits, conferences, performances and other appointments with the goal of stimulating and increasing interest in science among the younger generation.

January
Re-opening of the Streets: Balbi, Nunziata, Cairoli, Lomellini
The historical area that extends from the Principe train station down to Piazza de Ferrari will be entirely enhanced, from via Balbi to piazza della Nunziata, via Cairoli, piazza della Meridiana, via Garibaldi, piazza Fontane Marose to via XXV Aprile. The new pavement and spectacular illumination will make this focal point of the city more livable and attractive.

Summer
Live Aid - Genoa
A great concert for solidarity that over several days will make Genoa one of the protagonists of the Italian and international rock scene.

October
The Great Actresses
The guiding theme of the voyage as interpreted by 3 great actresses of the European stage: Mariangela Melato, Isabelle Huppert and Vanessa Redgrave, guided by the internationally famous director Luca Ronconi.

NBA Basketball Cup
Basketball tournament among the winning teams of the Italian League, of the European Cup, of the NBA, the world champions.

November
International Congress of the Educating Cities
In Genoa the 8th edition of the Congress that has as its theme "Another City is possible: The Future of the City as a Collective Project". Objective: to enhance the education function of the city and the moral, cultural and social growth of its inhabitants.