Granarolo-Begato mini cable receives approval from the Ministry of Culture

The Ministry of Culture has given the green light for the construction of a mini cable car linking Granarolo and Forte Begato, a strategic infrastructure project aimed at improving mobility and enhancing the value of Genoa’s hillside areas. The revised version of the project was presented by Mayor Silvia Salis during the itinerant city council meeting held in the Centro-Est Municipality. The main change compared to the original plan concerns the route: it will no longer pass over residential buildings in the Lagaccio neighborhood, addressing concerns raised by local residents.

During the same event, the “Granarolo–Begato Sport Park” project was also unveiled, this new outdoor activity hub is intended to boost tourism and encourage recreational and sporting use of the city’s hills. The park will include hiking trails, mountain biking and downhill tracks, a climbing gym, a “flight of the angel” zipline attraction, and recreational areas for all age groups. A bike hub has already been completed in the former stables and is expected to open by the end of the month. A participatory planning process involving local stakeholders is also planned to help define the park’s functions and activities.

The new cable car, approximately two-thirds the length of the original route, is funded with €40.5 million and will be integrated into the existing public transport network through an interchange with the Principe–Granarolo funicular railway near Via Bianco. The plan also includes upgrades to the funicular service by AMT and the construction of an elevator connecting the lower terminus with Via Doria. The route will remain outside the buffer zone of the UNESCO World Heritage site encompassing the Rolli Palaces and Strade Nuove, thereby avoiding any impact on the protected area.

As for the timeline, the Municipality expects construction work to begin in the second half of 2027. The system is expected to take approximately two years to complete and enter service, with the goal of inaugurating the cable car before the end of the current administrative term.