Genova is an astonishing city, of an unexpected beauty which must be conquered. Its treasures are numerous: its seaside designed by the architect of Renzo Piano world famous, its aquarium and its historical center, largest of Europe, will not fail to allure you.

The beauty of the city also lies in its configuration: hills laid out in half-circle embrace bay doing of Genov one of the most vertical cities of the world. This natural theater which overhangs the sea is rich in sumptuous palate and in narrow lanes which traverse the historical center and make you discover the prestigious inheritance of this city where the relationship between the city and the culture was always intense. It is enough to think that it is here that were born Christophe Colomb, Nicolò Paganini, Giuseppe Mazzini, Eugenio Montale, Fabrizio De Andrè, Emanuele Luzzati and Renzo Piano to understand that the culture impregnates the city. The masterpieces produced or financed by Genoese are numerous. They entrusted important achievements to the great names of art and architecture of the time. Thus we can admire the treasures which the palates contain, the churches, villas of noble and many museums which shelter works of Van Dyck, Rubens, Perin del Vaga, Grechetto and the most important painters of the XVIIe century genoese, such Valerio Castello, Alessandro Magnasco and Bernardo Strozzi. But let us discover step by step this city, which are certain will finish we by you leaving without voice.     top of the page

The port of Genova

Since millenia, Genova is a door of communication between the Mediterranean and the large European plains, between the north and the south of Europe and between the Old one and the New World. The merchants phenicians and Etruscans made a good choice when they established towards 700 bc. J. - C. their most septentrional outpost in bay of Mandraccio (current the piazza Cavour). From 1100 to 1500, this bay was the heart of a Maritime Republic whose colonial empire extended from the Pillars of Hercules to the Black Sea and the merchants geneose were powerful in all Europe, of Byzance to Brugge. In our world where the borders do not exist any more, the port of Genova is proud to be itself most important of the Mediterranean and the starting point and of arrival of the large cruising ships.     top of the page

The historical center of Genova

It's a place which conceals treasures of art to each turning; that they are the vaults decorated with frescos and the churches baroques or the old carved slate gates and used by time. Its cathedral San Lorenzois jewels, to build it, architects and workmen of all Europe (lombards, Norman, French and pisans) worked together. Very elegant, its frontage is decorated with white and black bands. It is crowned of two unequal bell-towers and has a large rosette and gates with fine polychrome columns. It offers a strange aspect if one considers the pagan Roman vestiges re-used in this Christian church. It is also an invaluable cathedral if one takes account of the Museum Diocesan and very modern Museum of the Treasury which is in the crypt and exposes a silver mounting gilded with the relics of St Jean-Baptiste at the time of the crusades and the vase out of green glass considered by the tradition as being the Holy Grail of the last supper.     top of the page

The Romanesque art enriches also the historical heritage by the city. The Museum of Architecture and Ligurian Sculpture of Sant' Agostino preserves vestiges of the old disappeared churches, like the monument of Marguerite de Brabant by Giovanni Pisano. The churches San Donato and Santa Maria di Castello are Romance jewels which contain extraordinary Annonciations and various polyptyques.     top of the page

And as, Genova was a coterie of families being made the war in their city, each family having her place, her palates and its church. As much to say that the richnesses do not miss in this city. The piazza San Matteo belonged to the Doria family is the pearl of medieval Genova. This small place is bordered of palates covered with white and gray bands and a very beautiful church whose frontage is romano-Gothic while the interior dates from XVIe century. Between XVIe and the XVIIe century, many families called upon large European artists “to personalize” the churches of the city. Thanks to these families, Genova can be praised to have a rich person inheritance of works baroques. One can admire them in the church San Siro which was the first cathedral of the city, in the church San Filippo, beside the house of Giuseppe Mazzini which was arranged in Museum of Risorgimento, in the church of Nunziata, the church of Gesù and the church of the Vine. This one preserves the Romance bell-tower of the first church of 981 and shows a beautiful neo-classic frontage.     top of the page

The palates as for them are more than splendid. When some families of the nobility decided to parcel out the grounds which were behind via della Maddalena, about 1550, nobody could not imagine that it is born such an aristocratic street from it. A straight line of 250 meters bordered of a dozen palate. More the Italian great architects of the time, drew vast and sumptuous residences, with the richly decorated frontages. The pieces of furniture, the tables, the sculptures, the frescos and the large staircases are of an equal richness. This street changed several times of names: initially Strada Nuova, then via Aurea, and finally via Garibaldi. Its palates changed owners, and thus of name, during the centuries. The Palate Carrega Cataldi was the residence of Tobia Pallavicino, the “king of alum” and its gilded gallery, style rococo is extraordinary. Nicolò Grimaldi was called “the Monarch” being the principal creditor of Philippe II of Spain. Its palate, the current palate Doria Tursi, seat of the town hall, is vastest of all and has hanging gardens. One can see there letters autographs of Christophe Colomb and a violin going back to 1742 which was of Nicolò Paganini. Palazzo Rosso and Palazzo Bianco date from the XVIIIe century and their rich person Art galleries were given to the city, with the palates, by Maria Brignole Sale, duchess of Galliera.     top of the page

The new city of Genova

The neo-classic elegance of the XIXe century allied to the eclectic originality of XXe surprises and allures in turn with the luxurious one via Roma, vast the piazza De Ferrari which accommodates in particular Museum dell' Accademia Ligustica di Belli Arti and it via XX Settembre with its arcades, are palpitating arteries. Piazza Corvetto, is one of the most beautiful Gene place, monumental the piazza della Vittoria of the Thirties, the piazza Dante with the house of Christophe Colomb and the Piacentini skyscraper, highest of Italy is as many places which will not leave you indifferent, they will be also ideals places for shopping. Just as, its aquarium which includes 70 basins a visit is worth and will make you go on a journey in more the marine and watery rights in the middle of the world.     top of the page

Genova after all that, will not leave you insensitive and you will certainly be tempted to return there, because after the city, there is also the back country which it remains to discover.

Our thanks to the Genova tourist office for its assistance, its information and its photos.

TO KNOW

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