Do you really want to discover the soul of Genoa? Then you absolutely must take a ride on the legendary Zecca Righi Funicular. This funicular will make you understand more than a thousand explanations what is meant by ‘Vertical Genoa’: yes, because Genoa is a city by the sea but resting on its mountains. The heights of Righi, where one of the two terminuses is located, are one of the city’s most popular trekking spots, from where several exploratory trails start. But the whole trip on this funicular is full of surprises!
The History
In the fervent climate of new ideas and progress that characterised 19th century Genoa, the city’s administrators approved a project in 1890 that would express the spirit of the times. This proposal was submitted by two Swiss citizens who had been living in Liguria for some time: Francesco Giuseppe Bücher and his son Teodoro. They, entrepreneurs who were experts in the construction of ski lifts in their homeland, proposed the construction of a funicular railway that would have connected the city centre to the hills, to bring Genoese and tourists alike to see the panorama from the Castellaccio. The route would be covered in two lines: the first section would connect Largo Zecca to the church of San Nicola and the second from the San Nicola station itself to the heights of the Castellaccio.
The name chosen for the project, ‘Funicolare del Righi’, was reminiscent of the famous Swiss cogwheel railway on Mount Rigi (German pronunciation ‘Righi’), where the Büchers had already built a popularly successful installation. The final station at Castellaccio was thus named Righi, a term that became common to refer to the locality in general and which still characterises that hilly area today.
1891
On 18 February 1891, the Electric Railway and Funicular Company (SFEF) was founded in Kerns. The following year, the project, drawn up by engineers Luigi Mignacco and Carlo Pfaltz, who had already been involved in major construction projects such as the Gotthard Tunnel, took shape and work began under his supervision.
1895
The upstream section, from San Nicola to Righi, was opened on 28 September 1895, while the downstream section, which ran entirely through tunnels, took a little longer, and was opened to the public on 15 February 1897. The San Nicola station served as a transit point for passengers between the two sections, which were therefore practically two separate facilities.
The 1920s
The 1920s saw the renewal of the cars and the upgrading of the upstream traction system. The increased speed made it possible to set up a new intermediate stop under Corso Carbonara.
The 1960s
In 1960, a project was submitted to the municipality for the total renovation of the funicular, unifying the two lines into a single system with the San Nicola station as an intermediate doubling point. After various vicissitudes, the funicular went into service on 28 February 1966.
1990
In March 1990, a new system with increased capacity and speed was inaugurated, bringing the Zecca Righi funicular into a new era. The maximum capacity increased from 400 to around 900 persons per hour, with two-carriages and 150 seats.
Today, the Zecca Righi Funicular, witness to a century of change in the city, continues to offer the Genoese and visitors a scenic journey through the history and beauty of Genoa.
Zecca Righi Funicular - Timetable, cost and ticket
The Zecca Righi funicular operates every 15 minutes during peak hours and has an annual traffic of around one million passengers. It covers a difference in height of 278 metres on a 1,428 metre stretch, about half of which is in a tunnel, maintaining a speed of 6 metres per second. After the first section on the embankment, starting from the San Nicola station, the route passes through a subway, the San Nicolò viaduct with masonry arches, and other minor subways with metal girders.
From the central point of the inclined plane, where there was originally a doubling track, the line continues at ground level to the Mura delle Chiappe. This section, characterised by a maximum gradient of 35%, reaches its apex at the final ramp and features a brick overpass on Via Domenico Chiodo. The capacity of the funicular is 900 persons per hour, thanks to the cars that can accommodate up to 150 passengers. The complete route is covered in 12 minutes.
As of 1 January 2024, non-residents of the Metropolitan City of Genoa will be able to use tickets valid on the urban network: these range from an ordinary ticket valid for 110 minutes (cost €2) to a daily ticket (cost €10).
Winter service hours, daily from 6.40 a.m. to midnight
Largo Zecca —> Righi
06:40; 07:00; 07:15; 07:30; 07:45; 08:00; 08:15; 08:30; 08:45; 09:00; 09:20; 09:40; 10:00; 10:20; 10:40; 11:00; 11:20; 11:40; 12:00; 12:15; 12:30; 12:45; 13:00; 13:20; 13:40; 14:00; 14:20; 14:40; 15:00; 15:20; 15:40; 16:00; 16:20; 16:40; 17:00; 17:15; 17:30; 17:45; 18:00; 18:15; 18:30; 18:45; 19:00; 19:15; 19:30; 19:45; 20:00; 20:20; 20:40; 21:00; 21:20; 21:40; 22:00; 22:30; 23:00; 23:30; 00:00
Righi —> Largo Zecca
06:40; 07:00; 07:15; 07:30; 07:45; 08:00; 08:15; 08:30; 08:45; 09:00; 09:20; 09:40; 10:00; 10:20; 10:40; 11:00; 11:20; 11:40; 12:00; 12:15; 12:30; 12:45; 13:00; 13:20; 13:40; 14:00; 14:20; 14:40; 15:00; 15:20; 15:40; 16:00; 16:20; 16:40; 17:00; 17:15; 17:30; 17:45; 18:00; 18:15; 18:30; 18:45; 19:00; 19:15; 19:30; 19:45; 20:00; 20:20; 20:40; 21:00; 21:20; 21:40; 22:00; 22:30; 23:00; 23:30; 00:00
Zecca Righi Funicular - stops and what to see
As we ride the funicular, we pass through different parts of Genoa and at each stop a different face of the city is revealed, from the historic buildings of the departure from the Old Town to the paths of the Righi heights. Let’s immerse ourselves in this journey stop by stop and discover what impressed us most on this ascent of yesteryear.
Zecca
Departing from the city centre, we find ourselves more precisely between the Carmine district and Genoa’s historic centre, with its 16th-century rolli palaces and Baroque mansions. From here our journey towards the hills and heights of Genoa begins. The entrance to the stop is located in a side street of Largo Zecca. It takes its name from the mint of the Republic of Genoa, which moved in 1842 from its historical location in Piazza Caricamento. Originally located within the Barbarossa walls, the area housed the public ovens. In the course of time, the square became part of a street route formed by the ‘strade nuove’ (Via Garibaldi, Via Cairoli and Via Balbi). The demolition of the Zecca building in the 1920s for the construction of the Giuseppe Garibaldi road tunnel radically changed the appearance of the square, connecting it to Piazza Portello.
Carbonara
Stop built in an open trench inside the Tito Rosina gardens on Corso Carbonara. From the Carbonara stop you can walk to Spianata Castelletto in a few minutes. Here, you will find a beautiful vantage point closed to traffic, the Belvedere Montaldo, from where you can enjoy the view of the city in peace. But already on the way up from the stop towards Spianata, walking along the pavement of Corso Carbonara, the walk is gladdened by the open view of Genoa’s harbour and the Lanterna overlooking it.
San Nicola
This is the intermediate stop, located in the Castelletto district, west towards Principe. After the funicular’s trunks were joined, San Nicola was turned into the crossing point. This stop is purely for city use for residents as there are no special attractions to visit. From here you can either walk to the Madonnetta Sanctuary (which is also the next stop) or get off towards Spianata Castelletto by taking a walk along the tree-lined avenues (about a ten-minute walk).
Madonnetta
The Sanctuary of the Madonnetta is a late 17th-century Baroque building. The church houses various works including frescoes by Bartolomeo Guidobono and a wooden group by Maragliano on the subject of the Pietà. Here you can admire one of Genoa’s most important and characteristic nativity scenes. The nativity scene in Genoa has a great tradition, so much so that from the 18th century onwards a local school as prestigious as those famous in Naples and Bologna is recognisable. It is a permanent nativity scene that can be visited all year round. It consists of figures and statuettes created by historical artists and some of them carved in wood are attributed to the important school of Maragliano.
Via Preve and San Simone
We continue up towards the heights, greeting the residential district of Castelletto behind us. The buildings begin to give way to greenery and small houses and if we turn towards the sea, the view of the port and the Lanterna begins to open up. It may be an idea on the way back from Righi, instead of taking the funicular from the terminus, to do some creuze downhill and enjoy the characteristic landscape of the Genoese mule tracks and then take the funicular back to the centre from one of the two stops at San Simone or Via Preve.
Righi
Last stop, we’re getting off! We arrived at our destination after this pleasant funicular railway ride that made us savour again the taste of slowness, of a different way of experiencing the city and urban transport. We are immediately struck by the beautiful panorama of the entire western coastline, which can be admired from the stop’s panoramic terrace. We are now about 300 metres above sea level and several paths branch off from the Righi, for trekking lovers. In fact, the funicular is used a lot by hikers and mountain bikers. From Righi you can reach the paths that connect the historic forts that dot the Genoese hills: the fortifications date back to the modern era and still retain their charm. In some cases, these forts can still be visited.
