San Marcelino is a social centre that promotes human dignity by hosting people in a condition of homelessness. It aims to the recovery of personal skills and the full enjoyment of rights of all users of the centres .

The initiative was born in 1945 to support the Genoese who had lost everything because of the war.

Since 1988 it mainly welcomes homeless people who begin to take care of themselves and live again. The contact takes place in the street thanks to a mobile unit equipped with a minibus. The entrance gate is the Listening Centre, open 4 days a week from 9 to 12.

In 3 hours even 80 people arrive. Showers, bathrooms, laundry, wardrobe, barber and a hot drink are offered by the Day Centre. A consultation with a doctor is possible thanks to volunteer operators. For the night Archivolto offers 12 places for men and 4 for women.

For extended time accommodation, 44 places are available in 3 communities. 

In addition, there are assisted accommodation, studios or two-room apartments towards complete autonomy.  Workshops are offered for cleaning, laundry, cooking and maintenance services.

A day care centre is open every afternoon with workshops in music, painting, poetry, recreational and cultural activities.

The festive mass is a place of welcome and meeting.

Photos by Maurizio Gjivovich