The Flowing City: The Metamorphoses of a Port Without a Sea

Abstract

Some cities have water not just as a physical element, but as a liquid memory that flows through their streets, carrying stories, flavours, and exchanges. One such city — once one of the country’s main ports — was crisscrossed by a network of man-made canals that all led to a grand dock built in the seventeenth century, the bustling heart of trade, markets, and everyday life. Around it, hearty culinary traditions sprang up, thriving in courtyards, workshops, and taverns. With industrialization, the area transformed into a major hub for freight transport, drawing in workers, artisans, and artists alike. When the port declined, its spaces took on new life as hotspots of modern nightlife: clubs, bistros, and all kinds of eateries began lining the shores. Of course, change brought gentrification too, sweeping away much of the area's humble past. Yet in this ever-reinventing city, where the water never stops flowing, something authentic still lingers. And only at the very end of this tale will the reader discover a curious twist: this port city, with its thousand faces and flavours... does not even face the sea.