About Us

Logo & Mascotte

A ROMANCED HISTORY OF THE SYMBOLS OF THE OWC AND THE WOC
By Andrea Immovilli

Genesis of a logo

Already in 2019 we commissioned at the maestro Maurizio Immovilli to develop a logo for the events we were planning for 2024, with the occasion of Genoa European Capital of Sport; the only suggestion he received concerned the subject, a Geco! (Kind of lizard). After a while he proposed the first sketches to us, unfortunately destined to end up in oblivion due to the Pandemic that blocked everything. ​After the bad period we have resumed all the works, but now not only for the events of 2024 but also for 2026 and giving to the graphic new inputs.
​Among the various projects submitted to us, we choose the one that has the Lantern as its subject, and the reason is simple: the Lantern is Genoa! moreover, in the logo there are represented the mountains that surround our city (place of the 3 and 5 Days of Apennines), there is the sea, an indissoluble element with a seafaring Genoa, and finally the flight of birds which represents freedom, which is a thing that I think represents our Sport well.

“Pacciûgo”, the Mascot

Even the mascot has a fairly complex genesis.
Initially we start with the Geco, which was developed in a different way from the one born as a logo in 2019, the first drafts convinced us and we continued on that path; but what about a Geco with Genoa? Simply said: every crevice of the old Ligurian stone walls is the habitat of this cute animal. However, some doubts begin to creep in: “but it is a nocturnal animal”, so we ask ourselves if “does it really represent the historic centre of Genoa?” and “represents a race that will take place in full sun?”
Then Eleni takes care of removing us from the impasse with a post where he only writes “cat, cat, cat !!!!” it seems like a whim but instead it is a stroke of genius: cats are the true kings of the historic center, indeed they are the sovereigns of the slate roofs of the houses, so much so that in Genoese the cat is also called Lêvre de cuppi (roof’s hare). I remember a Genoese writer once told me “when I lived in the historic center in an attic, while I was working at a desk that overlooked a window, every day I received a visit from a cat: she entered through the open window and disappeared down the same way”.
Yes, thinking better only a cat could be the mascot of the 2024 and 2026 Events. Once the subject had been defined, we had to find a name, so we carried out a survey, proposing four (all linked to the Genoese tradition): Pacciûgo won, a strange name you could say, well, I’ll tell you the story.

Legend of Pacciûgo and Pacciûga

Pacciûgo was a sailor who lived in Via di Prè, a well-known old typical road of the historic centre, who had married a good and very religious woman. Together they lived in love and harmony and were both devoted to the Madonna. During a sea voyage, Pacciûgo was taken prisoner by the Turks and taken to Algeria where he had to remain for twelve long years without being able to return home. His wife thought only of him and every Saturday she went to the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Coronata to pray ardently that her much loved husband would return home. But the people, seeing her go out every Saturday, began to think bad of her and began to whisper malicious things.
One day Pacciûgo managed to escape and returned to Genoa. It was on Saturday and his wife had gone, as always, to the Sanctuary to pray. When Pacciûgo arrived, he did not find his wife and asked the neighbors for news trying not to be recognized. But an old woman, realising that the man was Pacciûgo and having always been envious of the happy couple, told him that Pacciûga disappears every Saturday with the excuse of going to the Sanctuary of Coronata to pray, but that in truth she usually meets a man.
Hearing this the sailor was seized with strong anger and jealousy and without hesitation he leaved to Coronata; halfway there he met his wife who, seeing him and immediately recognising him, ran towards him, embracing and kissing him. Pacciûga, then wiping away her tears of happiness, began to thank Our Lady who had listened to her prayers and told her husband that the following Saturday they would both go to the Sanctuary to thank Our Lady.
However, Pacciûgo could not get rid of the worm of jealousy and so the next day he proposed to his wife to take a boat trip to Cornigliano; when they were out at sea he asked her for an explanation of her presumed betrayal. Pacciûga, who had not expected such a question from her husband, remained silent for a moment and Pacciûgo, interpreting his wife’s silence as an admission of guilt, beside himself, struck her with a knife and threw her into the sea.
Pacciûgo then rowed towards the shore and went down to Sampierdarena, but remorse for what he had done haunted him and he went to the sanctuary of Coronata to ask forgiveness to Our Lady.
Great was Pacciûgo’s wonder and joy when, entering the church, he saw his good wife, safe, on her knees praying before the altar. He then understood that the Virgin had performed that miracle because she knew that Pacciûga had always been faithful to him and so he ran to meet her and embraced her with all her love.

Note

• It seems that the story written in Genoese was found in 1887 by Father Persoglio, rummaging in the archives of the Coronata Sanctuary and made it public.
• Pacciûgo and Pacciûga have also become part of the tradition in the carnival masks of Genoa.
• Pacciugo is also the name of a mixed ice cream, born in 1941 at the Excelxior café in Portofino and later spread throughout the Ligurian Riviera.
• The use of the term fare un pacciûgo in Genoa has become synonymous with making a mess.
• …starting from tomorrow it will also be remembered for being our mascot.

Notes about Maestro Maurizio Immovilli

Graduated in Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Genoa, Maurizio was able to count on masters such as Mario Moronti, Claudio Costa and Giannetto Fieschi. During his studies, the artist let himself be influenced by various artistic disciplines: from painting to comics, from graphics to theatre. Here are some of the works produced, among many:
For a few seasons (1990-93) he created the sets for the Teatro Sala Diana in Genoa. In 1995 he designed Pirotino, the mascot of the Recco fire festival. In 2000 he created the poster for the “Historical Commemoration of the Witches” in Cavalese (Tn). In 2002 he signed the illustrations for the brochure “I’ll teach you food education”, with the patronage of the Ministry for Agricultural Policies. Also in 2002 he Logo for the Cultural and Economic seminar between the Region of Liguria and Valparaiso (Chile) “Two Regions in Perspective” in Valparaiso. In 2008 he created the image with which the exhibition “Picasso Mediterranean painter” was celebrated, under the patronage of the municipality of Sori (Genoa). In 2012 he won the competition for artistic elaboration “Innamorati a Camogli”. Countless are the pictorial works presented in forty years of exhibitions.
Furthermore, the author periodically holds courses on the history and technique of watercolor between the provinces of Piacenza and Pavia.