Incontro con Marco Doria, sindaco di Genova e professore di storia dell’economia
Come and meet the Mayor of Genoa, Marco Doria, who will visit the Bay Area of San Francisco in the week of Feb 8. In particular, in the evening of Feb. 9 Mayor Doria will be at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura, where he will give a presentation on the evolution of Genoa from the original “Repubblica Marinara” to its current composite nature of industry, culture, commerce and tourism, and say hello to all the people interested to meet him.San Francisco and Genoa share many characteristics which make them really close and similar. The main common characteristic is that of being maritime cities with a strong marine culture and tradition, as demonstrated by the original fishing activities, mainly in the past, as well as, more recently, by the presence of large commercial ports and of important Aquariums which host advanced marine biological research.
Immigrants from Genoa and Liguria significantly contributed to the growth of San Francisco and of the Bay Area not only through important personalities (e.g., the Giannini family) but also through a large number of people who started with humble activities and rapidly reached success in many fields. Currently many professionals from Genoa live and work in the Bay Area, where they moved decades ago, and keep the connection between the two areas constantly alive and intense.
The Northern Italian port city of Genova (Genoa) lived three main periods of growth and grandeur. In the Middle Ages, the city was one of the most important economic hubs of Europe and the Mediterranean. As a maritime republic, Genoa dominated trade between the Orient and Northern Europe, in competition with Venice. In the Renaissance, after the discovery of America, Genova became the financial center of Spanish Crown. The decline of the Spanish Empire meant also the decline of the city. After Italy was unified in 1861, Genova struck back as one of the poles of Italy’s industrial revolution. These three eras have left a significant material and immaterial heritage. Genova’s Mayor Marco Doria, a professor of economic history, will illustrate Genoa’s grand past, as well as his plans to promote the city’s future.
Profile of Mayor Doria:
Marco Doria (Genova, 1957) received a “Laurea” degree in Literature and Philosophy at the University of Genova in 1981. Then he worked in the Historical Archives of Ansaldo, one of the biggest and oldest Italian mechanical firms and, between1983 and 1985, had a grant from Fondazione Einaudi of Turin for a research project on Italian industrial history. From 1985 to 1988 he’s been a researcher of European University Insitute (EUI) in Florence where in 1989 obtained a Ph.D. in History. After some years as a teacher in the secondary school, he became researcher in Economic History in the University of Genova, Faculty of Economics where since 2000 he has been a Full Professor of Economic History. He has written several books and articles about Italian economic history in XIXth and XXth centuries. In the years 2008-2012 he was a member of the General Council of the Foundation Compagnia di San Paolo. In 2010 he received the Paul Harris Fellow “for his studies in industrial and economic history of Genova and Italy”. Since May 2012 he is Mayor of Genova.Prenotatevi qui per questo evento.