Tour of the little Italy

Why coming to Carouge ? Because it is very romantic! Carouge is born in XVIII century. Before, it was a gathering of poor hamlets, floaded regularly by the topsy turvy river called l'Arve. The king of Sardaigne wanted to build a royal town in order to compete with the Calvinist and austere Geneva . He found the right spot, as Carouge had no walls surrounding it. He asked his best architects to construct avenues with perspectives. He also installed different cults, whereas it was still forbidden in Geneva, to be able to worship and to practice whatever religion the new-coming had. Jewish came also back in this region and they even had their synagogue in Carouge. Counterfeits, smuggling were also taking place in Carouge, as saloons, alcohol and prostitution grew faster than in Geneva, which was still austere and calvinist. The architural style in carouge is called Sardaigne-Piemont, which is being defined by low colorful buidlings only 2 floors height, with back yard on mediterranean trees and plants.