Piazza Delle Erbe is the center of Genoa nightlife in the Old Town. It is located a few steps from Doge’s Palace and Porta Soprana and is the meeting point par excellence for the Genoese.
On Friday and Saturday nights, the square is filled with people of all ages, thanks to the bars that animate it and the proximity to the main areas of the city’s nightlife. Starting from the Erbe, many other areas of the Old Town full of clubs and bars can be reached in just a few minutes. From here, 30 years ago, the redevelopment of the historical centre started.
The name “Erbe” (herbs) is due to the fact that in the past the fruit and vegetable market used to be located here, while the farmers who brought their products to the city were obliged to write their names on a register from which the local authorities selected the positions at random.
The square had been inhabited by numerous artist families for a long time (the Lazzaro Tavarones, the Carlones and the Carbones, the family of the great portrait painter who was a Van Dyck’s student).
