Lucadea.com - Tag: local memories

The Stone House in Chiavari.
Some places retain a special charm even when their walls show years of wear and neglect. Just behind Piazza dei Pescatori, at the beginning of Valparaiso Street in Chiavari, Liguria, I came across this old stone house and decided to photograph it. Its weathered façade, old masonry and arched openings caught my attention, but the memories shared by former residents reveal a much deeper story than the photograph alone could tell.
I was drawn to the house because it feels like an authentic piece of everyday Chiavari, rather than a building restored to impress visitors. It belongs to the familiar streetscape of the town, where homes and small businesses once formed the backdrop to ordinary routines. After sharing my photograph, I received comments from people who knew this place personally, and their recollections gave the image a new meaning.
One visitor explained that they had spent their summers in the house with their family, from the early 1980s until the early 2000s. For them, the building was much more than a collection of stone walls: it was a place associated with family life, holidays and cherished memories. According to their account, the owners eventually decided not to renew the rental agreement, and the properties were left to deteriorate. The neglected appearance we see today therefore carries a personal sadness for someone who remembers the house as a much-loved part of their life.
The same testimony provides details that are not immediately apparent from the street. There are reportedly two houses, identifiable by their green entrance doors, with a terrace overlooking the inner area and a cellar beside the grocery shop. These small details help us picture the homes as lived-in spaces, with their own corners, entrances and family routines.
The arches below the houses also played a part in the neighbourhood’s history. The former resident remembers several businesses operating there over the years: a fishmonger’s shop, a shoemaker and a takeaway pizzeria. It is easy to imagine the everyday activity that once surrounded these premises, with local residents stopping to buy food, have shoes repaired or pick up something for dinner. These modest businesses may seem like small details, but they helped shape the character of the street and the relationships between the people who lived nearby.
Perhaps the most touching part of the comment is the affection with which the visitor describes the place as magical. Their message is not simply about an old building; it expresses a strong attachment to a location that remains important to them decades later. They also hope to return to the area, including the boat-storage facilities nearby, and invite anyone who lived in these houses to share their own memories.
This is one of the things I value most about photography. I may begin by noticing an old façade, a green door or a stone arch, but the stories shared by others can turn that image into a meeting point between past and present. The building provides the setting, while the memories of former residents bring its history to life.
Chiavari has many corners where the town’s past can still be glimpsed in its buildings and streets. This stone house, tucked behind Piazza dei Pescatori at the start of Valparaiso Street, deserves to be remembered not only for its architecture but also for the lives connected to it. Like other photographs of the town, it offers an opportunity to preserve fragments of local history that might otherwise be forgotten.
I hope this photograph reaches more people who lived here, spent summers with their families or remember the small businesses beneath the arches. Every new recollection could add another piece to the story and help keep the memory of this special corner of Chiavari alive.

Did you or your family ever live in these houses, or do you remember the shops beneath the arches? I would love to hear your stories and discover more about this old stone house in Chiavari. Add an comment or go to the bottom of the site to read what other visitors have written.

Photo taken with a Canon EOS M100 camera and Canon EF-M 22 lens.

Here’s where Piazza dei Pescatori is located in Chiavari:

Add one comment to this article or read here what other visitors have written.

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A Building in Giacomo Matteotti Square, Sestri Levante.
In the centre of Sestri Levante, in Liguria, Giacomo Matteotti Square is one of those places that belong to the everyday life of the town. It is the square where the Town Hall is located, a familiar spot for residents and visitors alike. I wanted to photograph this attractive building because it is part of the townscape and has a history that reaches back beyond its present-day use.
Buildings often change their purpose as a town evolves. The ground floor of this one once housed a bank branch, while today the premises are occupied by a restaurant that has a good reputation. Although the business inside has changed, the building remains part of the same familiar setting. I find these transformations interesting because they show how urban spaces adapt while remaining woven into the daily life of the community.
There is an even older memory associated with this address. Many years ago, the building was home to the Hotel Eden. For people who have known Sestri Levante over several decades, that name may bring back memories of a different period in the town’s history. A place that is now associated with a restaurant or a bank once served a different purpose, and these changes become part of the story of the streets and squares we pass every day.
Giacomo Matteotti Square offers a glimpse of the town beyond its best-known seaside views. It is a place to notice the buildings, the businesses and the everyday movement of local life. I enjoy photographing this kind of architecture because it is not only about façades and windows. It is also about memory: the recollections of residents, the shops that have come and gone, and the familiar corners that have quietly changed over time.
Sestri Levante is famous for its coastline, especially the Bay of Silence and the Bay of Fables, but its town centre deserves a closer look too. A leisurely walk through its streets reveals places that are part of local history, even when they are not major tourist attractions. Sometimes an ordinary building can tell a more personal story than a celebrated monument, especially when people remember what used to be there.
This photograph captures one of those places: a building whose ground-floor premises have served different purposes, from the former Hotel Eden to a bank and now a restaurant.

Do you remember the Hotel Eden in this square, or do you have memories of the businesses that occupied this building over the years? Add an comment or go to the bottom of the site to read what other visitors have written.

Photo taken with Canon EOS RP and lens Canon RF 24-50.

Where is this building located: