The Covered Bisagno River - Genoa's Hidden Waterway

When the bus loops around Piazza della Vittoria, you are driving on water.

The Coverage

Until the 1930s, the Bisagno River flowed open to the sea here. It was wide, dry in summer, and raging in autumn.

• The Plan: To expand the city center, the Fascist regime covered the final kilometers of the river, creating the grand boulevard Viale Brigate Partigiane.

The Consequence

The river is still there, roaring underneath during storms. It's a marvel of engineering and a constant headache for flood management.