Anteriormente al Mille, il territorio sul quale nel XII secolo sarebbe sorto il borgo di Chiavari era percorso dall’antica strada litoranea diretta dal Levante e al Ponente ligure, che percorreva le colline di Bacezza, delle Grazie e di Rovereto (la linea di costa era molto più arretrata rispetto all’attuale), sulle quali si svilupparono gli insediamenti più antichi.
Tra i possedimenti donati dall’imperatore Ottone I al monastero di Bobbio con il diploma del 25 luglio 972, sono annoverate le ville di Caperana (Capellana) e Rì (Ripus), sulle quali convergevano sia la via litoranea, sia quella diretta al piacentino attraverso la Valle Sturla e il Passo del Bocco; quest’ultima, in particolare, è disseminata di postazioni longobarde e di possessi bobbiesi, mentre insediamenti longobardi sono individuabili lungo una seconda strada che dal territorio chiavarese si dirigeva in Emilia attraverso le Valli Fontanabuona e Aveto. Nella zona di Rì esisteva, accanto all’insediamento di derivazione bobbiese, anche una corte appartenente alla Chiesa di Genova; altre proprietà ecclesiastiche erano localizzate nella zona di Caperana. Sulle alture di Maxena era concentrato un cospicuo patrimonio fondiario pertinente alla Chiesa genovese. Al 1059 risale la prima notizia relativa alla località di Sanguineto. Ai piedi del territorio di Maxena era la chiesa di San Pietro, menzionata nei documenti a partire dal 1164; intorno all’XI secolo si colloca la fondazione della chiesa con ospitale di San Giacomo, affacciata sul mare.
In un documento del 980 compare per la prima volta il toponimo Chiavari, che ritorna in un atto del 1031, con il quale Tedisio conte di Lavagna riceveva in locazione dal vescovo di Genova Landolfo diversi beni, tra cui alcuni in Valle Clavari, beni che sarebbero rimasti per secoli ai suoi discendenti.
Il Comune di Genova, nella sua espansione verso la Riviera, aveva trovato forti resistenze nel territorio dei Conti di Lavagna, sottomessi soltanto alla metà del XII secolo; ma ciò non fu sufficiente a sconfiggere il loro potere nel Tigullio, dove erano fortemente radicati e godevano di largo seguito. Nel 1167 i consoli genovesi decretavano l’erezione del castello di Chiavari, che avrebbe costituito un presidio genovese in loco. Dato il persistere della resistenza dei Conti di Lavagna, nel 1178 veniva decisa la creazione del borgo, secondo un preciso piano urbanistico che prevedeva la creazione di quattro fasce edificabili delimitate da vie di percorrenza, individuabili ancora oggi nel centro storico. I Conti di Lavagna, però, trovarono il modo di insinuarsi a Chiavari attraverso gli insediamenti civili e le fondazioni ecclesiastiche.
I Fieschi e i Ravaschieri, le maggiori famiglie discendenti dal Comitato lavagnese, mantennero un ruolo di riferimento a Chiavari per tutto il Medio Evo e nell’Età moderna, contrastati dai Rivarola, da sempre schierati sull’opposto fronte politico. Nel corso del XVIII secolo Chiavari, come tutti i borghi del Levante ligure, andò assumendo un crescente grado di benessere economico e di crescita sociale e culturale, con la formazione di una nuova e potente classe borghese. Nell’aprile 1791 nacque a Chiavari la Società Economica www.societaeconomica.com – patrocinata dal marchese Stefano Rivarola, governatore della città – e fondata da personalità di spicco della classe imprenditoriale, del mondo intellettuale cittadino, della nobiltà e del clero più aperto -, sul modello della Società Patria per le Arti e le Manifatture, sorta a Genova nel 1786 per iniziativa di un gruppo di aristocratici illuminati, tra i quali il duca Gerolamo Grimaldi. Chiavari conobbe un momento di particolare fulgore nel periodo napoleonico, quando fu prescelta quale capoluogo del Dipartimento degli Appennini ed elevata da Napoleone Bonaparte al rango di città.
Il radicamento delle idee illuministe aveva creato l’humus sul quale si innestò il pensiero risorgimentale, che trovò a Chiavari autorevoli esponenti.
NOTABLE FIGURES OF CHIAVARI
Numerous figures of Chiavari distinguished themselves in various fields across the centuries. Here are the biographies of some of them, either born in Chiavari or to Chiavari families elsewhere, whose exceptional contributions secured them a prominent place in history. A brief overview that witnesses Chiavari’s exceptional vitality in Modern Age.
Vincenzo Costaguta (1612-1660). His father, Prospero, had already held a prominent position as a senator of Rome, agent of the Republic of Genoa, and governor of the Confraternity of Saint John the Baptist of the Genoese. In 1645, the Costaguta family had been granted the titles of Marquises of Spicciano and Lords of Roccalvecce in the Viterbo region by the Pope. Vincenzo, doctor in Civil and Canon Law, as per the academic traditions of the time, moved from Chiavari to Rome under the pontificate of Innocenzo X; a protonotary apostolic, cardinal, he served as secretary of the Apostolic Camera. In December 1655, Vincenzo Costaguta received in Rome Queen Cristina of Sweden, with which he would often engage in long conversations, discussing history, mathematics, and music—subjects in which he was a profound scholar.
Andrea Costaguta (1610-1670). A Carmelite friar and architect, in 1638 Duchess Cristina welcomed him at the Savoy court, where he was appointed advisor and theologian to Her Royal Highness. Andrea Costaguta designed the complex of Santa Teresa dei Carmelitani Scalzi and implemented other renovation works in the castles of Moncalieri e Valentino. Following a rather mysterious incident in Chiavari, in 1655 Costaguta was put on trial and confined to the convent of Sassoferrato.
Agostino Rivarola (1758-1842). Brother of the diplomat Stefano Rivarola, he was protonotary apostolic to the Conclave of Venice. In 1800, he was delegated to Perugia and Macerata, and in 1808, due to his loyalty to the Pope, Rivarola was captured and imprisoned by the French. Governor of Rome, he was made a cardinal in 1817 and, as legate to Ravenna, initiated a crackdown of the Carbonari secret societies, culminating in a trial in 1825 that saw over 500 members sentenced. The following year, Rivarola was the victim of an assassination attempt. Upon return to Rome, he was appointed Prefect of the Waters and Roads.
Diego Argiroffo (1738-1800). A Franciscan friar, Argiroffo was part of the circle of Chiavarese intellectuals who enlivened the activities of the Società Economica. Father Diego’s opposition to Austria would cost him his life. Having refused to acclaim the Emperor, he was executed by the Austrians in 1800 on Mount Fasce, becoming the first political victim of the Austrians on Italian soil. He authored Memorie storiche e cronologiche della Città, Stato e Governo di Genova ricavate da più annalisti e scrittori, e autentici monumenti, sino ai tempi presenti dell’anno 1794-1799 [Historical and Chronological Memoirs of the City, State, and Government of Genoa from various analysts and writers, and authentic monuments, up to the present time of the years 1794-1799], preserved at the University Library of Genoa.
Angelo Della Cella (1760-1837). Born in Chiavari around 1760, little is known about his life, but Della Cella certainly absorbed the Enlightenment ideas that spread in Chiavari at the end of the 18th century. Due to his ideas, he was buried in unconsecrated ground after his death. He authored the ponderous work Memorie di Chiaveri [Memoirs of Chiavari], preserved at the Library of the Società Economica, in three volumes; the second volume, titled Delle famiglie indigene, avventiccie, nobili, popolari, estinte e vigenti di Chiavari [About the indigenous, foreign, noble, common, extinct, and current families of Chiavari], which describes over six hundred local families, is an invaluable resource for genealogical studies.
Carlo Garibaldi (1756-1823). A versatile and original intellectual, Garibaldi was the most iconic figure of the Chiavarese Enlightenment. Born in 1756 in Prato di Pontori (now part of the Municipality of Ne), Garibaldi earned his degree in Medicine at the University of Genoa in 1780. He established his practice in Chiavari, where he also nurtured his passion for history and genealogy, while actively engaging in civic and political affairs. In April 1791, he was amongst the founders of the Società Economica, where he held various positions. Garibaldi also contributed to the founding of the Accademia dei Filomati, which advocated for the establishment of a well-stocked public library. Garibaldi had strong pro-Jacobin sympathies and, after the proclamation of the Repubblica Ligure, joined the new Central Administration of Chiavari, which, upon his proposal, renamed streets and squares with names inspired by revolutionary ideals. The annexation of Liguria to the French Empire in 1805 marked his withdrawal from politics; the final years of his life were marked by bitterness and disappointment over the end of the revolutionary dream. Garibaldi wrote various historical and genealogical essays, as the Alberi genealogici di famiglie di Chiavari [Genealogical trees of Chiavarese families]; its most famous work is though the repertoire in three volumes Delle famiglie di Genova antiche e moderne, estinte e viventi, nobili e popolari [About the ancient and modern, extinct and living, noble and common families of Genoa], preserved at the Società Economica Library. He also authored some studies on the Garibaldi family, preserved in the Archive of the parish of Sant’Antonio of Pontori.
Chiavari and its surroundings gave birth to many Italian Risorgimento political figures; Giuseppe Mazzini’s family came from Cogorno, while Giuseppe Garibaldi’s hailed from the valley of the same name in the municipality of Ne. We also recall:
Davide Vaccà (1518-1607). According to tradition, Vaccà was born in the historic centre of Chiavari to an ancient local family. A doctor in Civil and Canon Law, Vaccà was a renowned jurist and a personal friend of Andrea Doria. He was Doge of Genoa for a two-year term between 1587 and 1589.
Stefano Rivarola (1755-1827). A member of a noble Chiavarese family, in 1783, Rivarola was ambassador of the Repubblica of Genova at the court of the tsarina Cathrine II, empress of all Russia. Upon returning to Chiavari, he was appointed Governor of the city. During his tenure, he planned to implement a public lighting system based on the one he had admired in St. Petersburg. In 1790, the area along the Caroggio Dritto [the main thoroughfare of the city] was illuminated by 19 lamps, making Chiavari the first city to have a public lighting system. He was also one of the founders and the first president of the Società Economica www.societaeconomica.com, and a supporter of the Chiavarina chair.
Stefano Castagnola (1825-1891). A law graduate from the University of Genoa, in his youth, he formed friendships with fellow citizen Nino Bixio as well as Francesco Daneri, Goffredo Mameli, and Gerolamo Ramorino. He volunteered in 1848 and, with the 14th Bersaglieri Regiment, fought in the battles of Peschiera, Goito, and Custoza. Castagnola’s political career began in the municipal council of Chiavari and continued until his election in 1857 to the Subalpine Parliament, representing the Genoa III district. Castagnola was a staunch supporter of Garibaldi’s Sicilian campaign. Following the unification of Italy, he was first elected as a congressman for the Chiavari district (serving from 1861 to 1876) and later for the Albenga district. From 1869 to 1873, he served as Minister of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce in the Lanza government. During the same administration, he also held interim roles as Minister of the Navy (1869-70) and Minister of Public Works (1871). In 1869, he was appointed senator of the Kingdom of Italy, and in 1888, he was elected Mayor of Genoa. During his tenure, he oversaw significant renovation projects in the Port of Genoa, organized the Columbian celebrations in 1892, and founded the Scuola Superiore Navale (Naval Polytechnic Institute). Castagnola served as President of the Società Economica during the two-year period 1871–72. He also lectured in Roman, Ecclesiastic and Commercial Law at the University of Genoa.
Alessandro Bixio (1808-1865). As the elder brother of the famous Nino, Alexandro Bixio grew up in Paris, at his godfather’s house, sub-prefect of the Department of the Apennines. He became fully integrated in the Parisian political and cultural milieu. In fact, he worked as an editor for the Revue de deux mondes, the most important French periodical of the 19th century. Elected as a congressman in the French Parliament, Bixio supported the armed intervention against the Repubblica Romana with the goal of restoring peace to Italy, which was being torn apart by revolutionary conflicts. Although Bixio was initially a conservative, he became a fervent republican activist. Following the coup of Louis Bonaparte in France in 1851, which paved the way for the establishment of a new Empire, he retired from political activism and turned to business, eventually becoming an important financier.
Gerolamo “Nino” Bixio (1821-1873). Born in Genoa to a Chiavarese family, Nino Bixio volunteered in the First War of Independence in 1848, and the following year took part in the defence of the Repubblica Romana. After spending some years in service on routes to South America, in 1859, Bixio took command of the Hunters of the Alps Battalion and became one of the organizers and supporters of the Expedition of the Thousand (Spedizione dei Mille). He fought and defeated the Bourbon troops in the battles of Calatafimi and Volturno. Bixio possessed a strong-willed personality, which ultimately led him to become a key figure in the Bronte Massacre. The suppression of the revolt, led by Bixio himself, was intended to punish the crimes committed by the local inhabitants upon hearing of Garibaldi’s arrival. In 1861, he was elected congressman in the Italian Parliament, where he demonstrated his extensive expertise in the military and maritime sectors. In 1870, Bixio was appointed senator, and supported general Cadorna during the decisive assault to conquer Rome. In the final years of his life, he revived his old passion for the sea and commanded a cargo ship he had designed himself, featuring a mixed sail and steam propulsion system. He died aboard this ship while en route to Indonesia.
Giovanni Antonio Mongiardini (1760-1841). A graduate in Medicine from the University of Pisa, in 1797 he embraced the Jacobin ideas that led to the formation of the Ligurian Democratic Republic. He became a member of the provisional government, the Police Committee, and, during the subsequent Napoleonic period, the Chemical Section of the Imperial Academy. As a councillor of the municipality of Chiavari, Mongiardini became a member of the Legislative Corps of the Department of the Apennines. For the services he rendered to the Napoleonic Empire, he was awarded the Legion of Honor. Subsequently, Mongiardini continued to teach medicine at the University of Genoa, also publishing several works.
Bernardino Turio (1779-1854). A Chiavarese from the Rupinaro neighbourhood, Turio graduated in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the University of Genoa. Afterwards, he dedicated himself to botany under the guidance of Prof. Domenico Viviani from Levanto. In 1806, as a young scholar, encouraged by Antonio Mongiardini, a Chiavarese chemist and naturalist, he collected 640 plant samples from Sestri Levante, Rapallo, and the Valleys of Aveto and Vara. These samples were later featured in a highly regarded essay, worthy of publication. Turio worked as a pharmacist in Chiavari while continuing his research in the field of natural sciences. In this domain, he studied the sea algae of the Tigullio Gulf. However, due to a financial setback, Mongiardini was forced to abandon his studies, which were later resumed by Giovanni Casaretto.
Giovanni Casaretto (1810-1879). Graduated in Medicine, Casaretto experienced his first botanical observation in Odessa in 1836 alongside the naturalist De Verneuil. During his subsequent travel around the world with the zoologist Caffer (1838), Casaretto took refuge in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he conducted extensive field research and collected a significant number of botanical samples. These specimens were later sent to the University of Genoa. Casaretto’s botanical studies were published in the work Novarum stirpium brasiliensium decades, printed in Genoa between 1842-45.
Federico Delpino (1833-1905). The outstanding botanist, born into a modest Chiavarese family, was of delicate constitution. He spent his days outdoors, in a small garden, adjacent home (today part of the Società Economica estate). It was here that Francesco Delpino conducted his first observations of nature, particularly the relationship between plants and insects. Although he initially studied Mathematics, he soon discovered his true calling during a trip to the East, where he had the opportunity to study exotic plant life. He then decided to pursue botanical research as a self-taught scholar and moved to Florence, where he divided his time between the Botanical Museum, the Orto dei Semplici (now Giardino dei Semplici), and the Webbian Library.
In 1865, his studies on the entomophilous fertilization of the Arauya albens earned him a place in the academic world, as an assistant to Professor Parlatore, director of the Istituto Botanico of Florence. Later, he held tenured positions at the University of Genoa and the University of Bologna, and in 1893, he moved to Naples, where he passed away. His writings are still the subject of studies and research today; particularly interesting is his correspondence with Darwin (preserved at the Società Economica), in which Delpino—an advocate of rigorous scientific observation—expressed criticism toward Darwin’s theory of pangenesis. Darwin himself wrote about the Chiavarese botanist: “many writers have criticized this hypothesis [pangenesis]; the most notable of which I have come to know is the one by Prof. Federico Delpino, titled Sulla darwiniana teoria della pangenesi (1869) [On the Darwinian Theory of Pangenesis]. Professor Delpino rejects the hypothesis I proposed, and I have greatly benefited from the criticisms he made on this matter…”
Michele Bancalari (1805-1864). A Piarist priest, he taught at the Collegio Nazareno in Rome, and later in Oneglia, Finale, and Savona. In 1846, Bancalari secured a professorship in Physics at the University of Genoa while continuing to serve as provincial of the Piarist Order. He became renowned for discovering the diamagnetism of flames, a finding he presented at the IX Congress of Italian Scientists in Venice in 1847. His theory was highly regarded by the famous physicist Michale Faraday, who built upon Bancalari’s findings to study the magnetic behaviour of gases.
Between the 19th and the 20th centuries, Chiavari had at least three professional Ottonieri (Brassworkers) specialized in the manufacturing of scientific instruments: Egidio Caranza, Vittorio Ugobono, and Raimondo Isler.
Giuseppe Gaetano Descalzi (1767-1855). Descalzi was nicknamed “il Campanino” because his grandfather was the bell ringer of the Church of Bacezza. The son of a cooper and craftsman, his work followed the Chiavari tradition of master cabinetmakers (locally known as bancalari). At a very young age, in 1796, he was awarded a silver medal by the Società Economica of Chiavari for two wooden chests of drawers. In 1807, Marquis Stefano Rivarola, one of the founders of the Società Economica in 1791, invited the Chiavarese artisans to rework some chairs he had taken in Paris in modern style; responding to this invitation, Descalzi created a new and elegant design by simplifying the decorative elements and lightening the structural elements, this marked the creation of the Chiavarina or Campanino chair. Despite the fact that Descalzi’s production included a variety of products (he is credited with developing a new coating for wooden surfaces, incorporating slate into table inlays, and introducing a distinctive varnishing technique), his chairs gained renown among the royalty of the time: from the Savoy family to Francis of Bourbon, King of the Two Sicilies, Charles of Prussia, and Napoleon III. The business was carried on by his family members: his sons Emanuele and Giacomo, as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Angelo Agostino Descalzi (1808-1876). An architect, maritime captain, and inventor, native of Chiavari, Descalzi had married a cousin of Giuseppe Mazzini’s mother. He sailed extensively, particularly towards South America, where he came into contact with the colonies of Ligurians established there. This gave him the opportunity to study maritime and fluvial currents worldwide, including in Europe. When in Italy, he focused on inventions (e.g., a floating dock) and design. Among Descalzi projects, some are impressive: the covering of the Bisagno River from Staglieno to the Foce district, the reorganization and expansion of Genoa’s port, which obtained the praise of Count Cavour. However, both the death of Count Cavour and his own passing impeded the implementation of the project.
Nicolò Descalzi (1801-1843). An explorer, astronomer, and hydrographer, Descalzi was the son of Giuseppe Gaetano Descalzi, known as “il campanino” for being the creator of the Chiavari chair. In his early twenties, he moved to Buenos Aires, where he was appointed astronomer by the Argentine government and became the leader of an expedition aimed at opening a new communication route with Bolivia via the Bermejo River. The endeavour was only partially successful, as Descalzi was incarcerated due to his landing on the left bank of the Paraguay River, within the jurisdiction of the country of the same name. Subsequently, in 1834, Descalzi was appointed by the Argentine president as engineer, astronomer and hydrographer of the Army for the expedition against the indigenous populations which were hindering the colonization of the Patagonia region. This mission gave him the opportunity to collect substantial geographic and astronomic information, samples of rocks and minerals, plants and animals, as well as cartographic representations. These efforts granted Descalzi the title of Major in the Argentine military engineering corps, and a silver medal award. During the following years, Descalzi conducted further research, and in 1838, while conducting land surveying along the coasts of the Matanza River, he discovered fossils of Pliocene and Pleistocene herbivorous mammals, respectively the Megatherium Cuvieri and the Glyptodon Clavipes. He later donated these fossils to the Museum of Turin.
Giambattista Scala (1817-1876). A maritime captain and explorer, Scala travelled across Africa and South America, where he became aware of the tragic story of the slave trade. While in Lagos, he dedicated himself to replacing human trafficking with the trade of local products (rum, palm oil, handcrafted items), making the city an important trade centre. For his efforts Cavour appointed him as Consul of the Kingdom of Sardinia. Descalzi continued his explorations in the Niger area and reached Abeockuta, where the local king requested him to establish a farm and implement a business model similar to Lagos’s, in order to counter the slave trade. During his stay in the Kingdom of Orobu, he discovered the plant that produced vegetable sago, which was commercialized for making ointments, candles, and soap. In 1862, Scala published his travels memoirs in Genoa.
Antonio Oneto (1826-1885). As a master mariner, Oneto sailed for several years until, in 1868, he arrived in America, where he founded a shipping company using steamships for maritime transportation. However, the venture was unsuccessful, and he turned to the study of geography, exploration, and research. He focused his explorations on the Patagonia region, where he founded the city of Puerto Deseado. A peak in the Sarmiento colony was also named in his honour.
Enrico Millo di Casalgiate (1865-1930). Born in Chiavari, in the current Palazzo Rocca, which housed the subprefecture office then under his father’s authority. At a very young age, he joined the army: when he was only 14, Millo enlisted in the Royal Navy, where he had a brilliant career. He is famous for the Battle of the Dardanelles during the Italo-Turkish War: on July 18, 1912, Captain Millo, commanding five torpedo boats, penetrated 15 miles into the Dardanelles Strait, which was controlled by the Turks, and was awarded the Gold Medal for Military Valour.
The following year he was appointed Minister of the Navy under the Giolitti government, a position he also held during the Salandra government. Governor of Dalmatia in 1918, Enrico Millo was appointed president of the Superior Council of Navy in 1921, a position he held until 1923 when he retired with the rank of admiral.
Nicola Giuseppe Dallorso (1876-1954). At a very young age, when he was just 15, Dallorso was employed by the Banco di Sconto del Circondario di Chiavari (Discount Bank of the Chiavari District). By the age of 29, he was appointed general manager of the bank, increasing both its turnover and the number and the number of its branches. In 1921, the credit institute changed its name to Banco di Chiavari e della Riviera Ligure (Bank of Chiavari and the Ligurian Riviera) increasing its central role in supporting the Ligurian economy. In 1939, Dallorso was appointed senator of the Kingdom and awarded the Order of Merit for Labour.
Umberto Vittorio Cavassa (1890-1972). Cavassa’s origins were from Massa, and he moved to Chiavari with his family in 1902. He worked as an editor for the Roman newspaper Il Giornale d’Italia, and in 1928, he joined the Lavoro newspaper in Genoa, where he was appointed editor-in-chief in 1943. After World War II, he became the editor-in-chief of Secolo Liberale (later Secolo XIX), a position he held until 1968. Cavassa is also known for his career as a novelist, which he began in the early 1920s. Among his works: I Giorni di Casimiro (1948) and Gente Diversa (1956), set respectively in Chiavari and 19th-century Sanremo, as well as La Gloria che Passò (1961), a historical novel set in Chiavari during the Napoleonic Empire.
