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Genoa is one of the great and old merchant and trade cities of Northern Italy, and for centuries it was an independent state as the Republic of Genoa. The wealth of this period from trade on the world seas did result in many of the city’s magnificent buildings and sights that you can enjoy today.
A large number of Genova’s distinguished mansions are inscribed on UNESCO’s list of world heritage. The mansions were part of a formal system for receiving important visits during the time of the Republic, and a walk along Via Garibaldi is one of the best places to experience the diversity of the mansion buildings of Genoa’s leading families.
Andrea Doria was one of the city’s well-known inhabitants. As an admiral and politician, he had great impact on the development of Genoa, and his villa is definitely worth a visit too. Christopher Columbus is another celebrity from the city, he was born and raised in Genoa before rediscovering America in 1492.
Genoa also has its beautiful churches, squares, fountains and other sights that make a stroll in the center enriching. The fact that the city is built on a heavily hilly terrain only makes the experience even better when you, for example, enjoy one of many views from the top of town.
You can also visit the beautiful Ligurian coast around the city, where you will find Portofino and the Cinque Terre National Park. The small towns are quaint and picturesque villages between mountains and the waves of the Mediterranean. Larger cities like Italian Turin and French Nice are easily accessible as well.
This Catholic basilica stands as one of Genoa’s most beautiful churches from the Mannerist and Baroque era. As the name suggests, it was built outside the walls of Genoa. It happened in a kind of security belt, where many buildings at a certain distance from the walls had been renovated for security reasons.
The church was built from 1520 by Franciscans on the site where there had also previously been a church building. Their construction stopped in 1537, and later the Lomellini family took over the project, which was completed in 1591 after the architect Taddeo Carlone took over.
From the start of construction, the architectural style was Mannerist, while the rich baroque decoration comes from a rebuild in the early 17th century. Furthermore, neoclassicism was added in the form of the colonnaded hall on the facade, which dates from the 1830s-1840s and was designed by Carlo Barabino.
The church’s simple facade contrasts with the lively interior, where many well-known artists have decorated the church. Among other things, you can experience Giovanni Andrea Ansaldo’s masterpiece in the form of the Ascension fresco in the church’s dome. Around the dome and throughout the ceiling of the church room, some gilding and frescoes spread, if you rarely see them. In addition, from here comes a long series of elegantly decorated chapels along the sides of the church.
The world-famous Christopher Columbus was born in 1451 in Genoa, which at that time had developed as one of the major commercial powers in the Mediterranean area. Throughout the 15th century, the city’s traders became more interested in the opportunities on the Atlantic Ocean, some of which emanated from Lisbon.
Columbus went to Lisbon in 1479 and took care of various businesses. During his stay in Portugal, he gained access to the vast knowledge gathered in the country regarding navigation, current conditions and other things related to trade on the seas. The Portuguese king wanted to find the sea route south of Africa to Asia, while Columbus increasingly wanted to find the way to the west.
In 1485, Columbus moved to Spain, and two years later he presented the idea of a journey to the west to the country’s royal couple. It ended with his historic European rediscovery of America, which started with the departure from Palos de la Frontera on August 3, 1492. In the fleet there were three ships; Santa Maria, Niña and Pinta. The following year, Columbus returned home after a successful voyage, and in total he sailed to America four times before his death in 1506.
The Genoese city child is commemorated at the Casa di Cristoforo Colombo, which is a partial reconstruction of his youth home in Genoa. It was necessary after a bombardment in 1684 by a French fleet. Historical documents indicate that Columbus certainly lived at the address in the years 1455-1470. In order to preserve the house, the city government of Genoa bought it in 1887.
Via Garibaldi is one of Genoa’s most famous streets, and a walk along it should be a must during a visit to the city. The 250-metre-long street is the setting for a number of the distinguished mansions that have been included on UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites; in this case under the title Palazzi dei Rolli and Strade Nuove del Centro Storico.
Le Strade Nuove consisted of Via Garibaldi, Via Balbi and Via Cairoli, all of which were home to wealthy and noble mansions built in the 16th-18th centuries. The local nobility built the mansions as residences and for representative purposes for the Republic of Genoa.
The list of the mansions used by the state was the so-called rollo. Thus, the Rolli mansions/Palazzi dei Rolli were a formalized system for receiving foreign guests in the city. The participating mansions and thereby noble families aspired to host distinguished guests such as cardinals, princes, viceroys and ambassadors. The system of rolli was created in 1576, which was only a few decades after Andrea Doria’s reconstruction of the city with expansion beyond the old city walls, and the individual mansions were ranked according to importance, beauty and size.
There were only three mansions designed to receive the finest visitors. Two of these are located in Via Garibaldi. These are Franco Lercari’s mansion (Via Garibaldi 3) and Niccolò Grimaldi’s mansion (Via Garibaldi 9).
The streets and mansions were distinguished, and they stood for innovative urban planning. Today they are part of Genoa’s architectural landmarks in Baroque and Mannerist style. As mentioned, several of the mansions are located in Via Garibaldi, which was originally called Strada Maggiore from the building in 1550. The current name came about in 1882 and it comes from the unifying Italian national hero, Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Palazzo Balbi-Senarega is one of the many mansions included on UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites in Genoa. It is unique as the first to be built as a two-part mansion for the brothers Giacomo and Pantaleo Balbi, who had made fortunes on financial transactions.
The mansion was designed by Bartolomeo Bianco and built from 1618 to its completion in 1665, which the brothers’ heirs carried out in parallel with a redevelopment of the mansion’s garden, which remains today a beautiful oasis with several sculptures.
The interior of the mansion is architecturally noteworthy compared to other of the city’s fine mansions, and in addition there is also rich decoration here. One of the highlights are the paintings on the piano nobile, which were created by several local Genoese artists; Valerio Castello, Domenico Piola, Andrea Carlone and Gregorio De Ferrari.
Palazzo San Giorgio is an elegant mansion that faces Genoa’s waterfront. The first part of the current mansion was built in 1260 by Guglielmo Boccanegra, who was the uncle of the first doge of the Republic of Genoa.
The beautiful building was constructed using materials from the Venetian embassy in Constantinople. Genoa and Venice were rival city-states, and after Genoa aided the Byzantine emperor against the Latin Empire, the Venetian embassy was demolished. Palazzo San Giorgio therefore became a kind of trophy for the indirect victory over Venice.
The mansion was intended as a civil political center in the city, which should act as a counterweight to the religious center around the city’s cathedral. Thus it served as the seat of the city. After a few years, the building became a prison, whose most famous prisoner was the Venetian Marco Polo. He sat as an inmate here from 1298 to 1299, which happened in connection with hostilities between Venice and Genoa.
In 1407, Palazzo San Giorgio was set up as the bank Banco di San Giorgio, which was thus one of the world’s earliest banks. The bank also acted as an administrative body for the Republic of Genoa, which placed the rule of, among others, Corsica to the bank in 1453. The bank had to close in 1805 after Napoleon’s suppression of independent banks.
In the 16th century, Palazzo San Giorgio had been extended with the magnificently decorated part of the building facing the sea. It was in the Renaissance that the prosperity of Genoa was manifested in this way. After the bank’s closure in the 1800s, various administrations were located here, and since 1903 the city’s harbor has had offices here.
Villa del Principe is an elegant building and garden complex that belongs to Genoa’s finest buildings. The place was completed around 1530 and was built as a residence palace for the politician and admiral Andrea Doria, who was the most prominent person from the Doria family.
Andrea Doria significantly influenced the Republic of Genoa, as the influential family generally did throughout the Republic. Andrea Doria was instrumental in the liberation of Genoa from French occupation in the 16th century and in the reintroduction of aristocratic rule in the city.
Andrea Doria did not allow himself to be elected doge, but his considerable power can be seen in the Villa Principe. The residence was built outside the city walls at a distance from both the city’s doges and from the system of houses where guests in the city were to be accommodated. Thus Andrea Doria received heads of state in his own residence independently of the city. One of the most important visits was by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, who stayed in Genoa for more than a month in 1530. Officially, he was a guest of the city, but in reality he was rather a guest of Andrea Doria.
The palace residence itself is worth seeing. Here are distinguished works of art by, among others, Andrea Doria and his family. They were painted by, for example, Perino del Vaga. Both the residence outside the city, the art and the surrounding garden were new to Genoa’s wealthy, who traditionally built town houses.
Villa del Principe’s garden was laid out so that it spread out towards the Mediterranean in different sections. In those days, the facility was larger than today, and here was, among other things, an eight-metre tall statue of Jupiter. It is today a very elegant garden, and both the villa and the garden are situated like an oasis, thereby providing a sharp contrast to the traffic hub of both railways and roads that surround the facility.
Piazza de Ferrari is one of Genoa’s most important squares in the central city core, and as such some of the city’s prominent buildings are located next to or in the immediate vicinity of the large and beautiful square. The square’s large fountain came about through a private donation, and it is both famous and impressive. Around it and the square is a strip of buildings worth seeing.
To the east lies the New Stock Exchange Pavilion/Palazzo della Nouva Borsa, which was built in the years 1907-1912, with a rounded front. To the southwest is the fine mansion for the administration of the region of Liguria, Palazzo della Regione Liguria, built 1912-1923. Between them is the tower-adorned banking mansion Palazzo del Credito Italiano from 1914. To the north and up the Teatro Carlo Felice you can see the Palazzo dell’Accademia Ligustica. To the west you can see a side facade to the city’s doge’s palace.
Cattedrale di San Lorenzo is Genoa’s great cathedral, dedicated to Saint Lawrence. He was treasurer and one of seven deacons in Rome in the 200s. As a cathedral, the church is the seat of the Archbishop of Genoa.
The cathedral is believed to have been founded in the 4th or 5th century. Later, a church dedicated to the twelve apostles was built. This church was expanded, and it was eventually replaced by the current cathedral, which in its first form was consecrated by Pope Gelasius in 1118.
The Romanesque cathedral was partially destroyed during battles between the papal Guelphs and the imperial Ghibellines. It happened in 1296, when a fire raged in the aftermath of the disputes. Subsequently, the church was partly rebuilt and partly newly built; for example, the elegant facade was added in the years 1307-1312.
In the 1300s and 1400s, several altars were built in the church, and several chapels were also built during this time. Several other building parts were added until construction was completed in the 17th century.
The interior of the church is quite worth seeing, and among the works of art are Byzantine-inspired 14th-century frescoes and various beautiful frescoes in several chapels. One can also admire Lazzaro Tavarone’s painting of the Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence. The church space itself is also a beautiful sight with column-supported arches on two floors.
A special exhibit in the cathedral is a 381 mm grenade. The shell hit the building and penetrated the south-east corner on 9 February 1941, when the British ship HMS Malaya mistakenly hit the church. It happened during Operation Grog, but fortunately the grenade did not detonate.
Palazzo Doria Tursi was built from 1565 by Niccolò Grimaldi and it was completed by Domenico and Giovanni Ponsello. The mansion was built on three plots of land on Via Garibaldi, making it the most impressive of the street’s many fine mansions in terms of size.
Since 1848, the mansion has been partly furnished as an administration building. In part of the large mansion, however, there is also an art museum, which together with the mansions Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Rosso in the same street form a distinguished trilogy for art lovers in the center of Genoa.
The building’s name came about when Giovanni Andrea Doria acquired the building in 1597 for his son Carlo, who was Count of Tursi. It was also at this time that the balconies facing the street were added. The mansion offers farm and garden environments, beautiful decoration, representative halls with ceiling frescoes and an exciting art collection that makes up the local art museum.
Santa Maria di Castello is one of Genoa’s old church buildings. It is located on the Castello hill, from which part of its name derives, and here was formerly a Roman fort.
The church was built around the year 900, and it still stands in the old Romanesque style. Over the later centuries, the church has been decorated with many beautiful works of art, which were often financed by the city’s wealthy families. Many artists are represented; among them are Lorenzo Fasolo, Aurelio Lomi and Francesco Maria Schiaffino.
You can also admire beautiful majolica from the 16th century Genoese school. From the 17th century you can see Domenico Parodi’s beautiful marble sculpture of the ascension, it is part of the high altar. Several chapels such as the baptistery are also worth seeing.
Porto Antico is Genoa’s old harbor and industrial port, which today has been transformed to be one of Genoa’s great assets for locals and tourists alike. For many years, the harbor was shielded from the nearby old town, but this was changed in connection with the celebration of the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ European rediscovery of Europe. It was in 1992, and up to this year the local architect, Renzo Piano, carried out a transformation of the harbor areas to offer culture and experiences.
Today there are several different highlights in activities and entertainment. This concerns, for example, Genoa’s aquarium, which is one of Europe’s largest. In addition to this, there are also preserved buildings from Genoa’s history such as Porta Siberia and the historic cotton warehouses, and there is also various outdoor art and various exciting vessels in the water.
The best way to experience the harbor is to take an exploratory walking tour of the area. You can supplement it with a trip in the panoramic cabin, which is hoisted up above the city and the harbor along the quay quite close to the south of the city’s aquarium.
This church dates back to the 9th century, making it one of the oldest in Genoa. It was built as a three-nave Romanesque basilica, and in 1147 it became a parish church. Since the 12th century, some remodeling has been done, but you can still see elements from the Romanesque church in the current building.
A major and thorough rebuilding took place at the end of the 16th century, while the church’s neoclassical facade is the result of changes in the middle of the 19th century.
In the church you can see several works of art from different periods and artists. These include Giacomo Ponsonelli’s marble altar from 1730 and 15th-century works by Giovanni Mazone and Francesco da Pavia. You can also simply enjoy the totality of works of art, which with its distinguished paintings, ceiling frescoes and overwhelming gilding form one of Genoa’s most breathtaking church spaces.
The Palazzo Ducale is the historic residence of the Dukes of the Republic of Genoa, who ruled from 1339 to 1797, when the state ceased to exist. However, Genoa’s time as an independent state had already begun in 1005, which was before the time of the Doges.
The history of the Doge’s Palace started in the 13th century, when the first buildings arose during the time of the Republic of Genoa before the Doge. The city government acquired additional land from the wealthy Doria family at the end of the 13th century, allowing the building complex to be expanded.
Over the following centuries, the Doge’s Palace was expanded several times. In 1777 it was partially destroyed by a fire, and the following reconstruction took place according to Simone Cantoni’s design in neoclassicism.
Today, the Palazzo Ducale stands as one of Genoa’s many beautiful buildings, and it forms the setting for, among other things, concerts, exhibitions and other cultural events. It takes place on the piano nobile, which is also the example of the doge’s representative rooms and halls.
Of interesting interior and architecture, Den Store Gård/Il Cortile Maggiore and Den Lille Gård/Il Cortile Minore can be mentioned. Elegant columns support the beautiful rooms here. In addition, the Great Council/Il Salone del Maggiore Consiglio and the Small Council/Il Salone del Minor Consiglio are elegantly decorated meeting rooms. Several large meetings have been held here; for example, the palace was the setting for a G8 meeting with Silvio Berlusconi as the Italian host in 2001.
Galleria Mazzini is a covered shopping arcade in the style of those built throughout the 19th century in, for example, Milan with Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and Naples with Galleria Umberto I. The gallery in Genoa was built in the years 1874-1876 in the same style as those mentioned with an impressive iron structure above the street itself in the middle. In addition to the good and old atmosphere in the gallery itself, there are also fine details to be seen in the entrances; e.g. from the street Via Roma.
Porta Soprana stands as one of the finest preserved buildings from medieval Genoa. The city gate was built on top of the ridge Piano di Sant’Andrea in connection with the walls from the 12th century. As the capital of the Republic of Genoa, Genoa has been strongly fortified over time. This happened, among other things, through the city walls, which to this day stand as some of the most impressive in Italy.
The walls are believed to have already been built in Roman times, while there is certainty of knowledge of the walls from the 12th century. These walls enclosed the Roman center and the area north of this old town. In the 12th century walls there were three primary city gates; Porta Aurea, Porta dei Vacca and Porta Soprana.
Over time, the extent of the walls was greatly expanded in several rounds. It culminated with De Nye Mure/Mura Nuove from the middle of the 17th century. These walls encircled the entire city along the coast and on the mountaintops, forming a solid defense for the expanding city. The Porta Soprana stands with its distinctive towers, which came later than the gates themselves. They are a result of the 18th century and a later restoration.
In the square in front of the Piazza Principe railway station, you can see a monument to the city boy Christopher Columbus. It was designed by Lorenzo Bartolini and erected in the mid-1800s.
The monument is richly decorated, and in addition to the actual statue of Columbus on top, you can see reliefs representing scenes from Columbus’ voyages of discovery; Columbus at the Council of Salamanca, the raising of the first cross in America, the reception of Columbus in Spain after the first expedition, and Columbus in chains.
At Columbus’ feet on the top is a Native American maiden, symbolizing America, and Columbus’ other hand rests on an anchor. Around him are four statues representing reason, piety, science and immutability.
Lanterna is the popular name for Genoa’s large lighthouse, which with its characteristic silhouette stands as one of the city’s landmarks. The lighthouse rests on a rock that rises above the surrounding harbor area, and the rock is what remains of Capo di Faro.
The current tower was first illuminated in 1543, but already in the 12th century there was a lighthouse here. Around 1320, a moat was built around the tower to protect it from destruction in any battles such as the Guelphs and Ghibellines had fought against each other.
In 1326, candles were lit with oil for the first time. Olive oil was used, and in the darkness the fire of the tower could then be distinguished from other fires. In 1340, Genoa’s city coat of arms was painted on the tower, which could also be clearly identified in daylight. In the 17th century, the lighthouse was structurally built into Genoa’s city walls, which at the time was called Cerchia Seicentesca.
At 77 meters in height, Lanterna is one of the world’s tallest lighthouses, and from its inauguration in 1543 until 1902, the tower was the tallest of its kind in the world. The lighthouse can also easily be seen in the cityscape today, and next to it you can experience the Lanterna Museum/Museo della Lanterne. At the museum you can experience different themes from the history of both the lighthouse and the town.
Near the entrance to the Museo della Lanterne, you can see the stately gate Porta Nuova, which was built into the rock in the years 1828-1831 as a city gate in connection with changes to the walls and facilities around the lighthouse. The gate itself was then about 50 meters from and at right angles to the current gate, which is simply set up as a preserved facade.
Around the lighthouse there are paths and some green areas, from which there is a good view of partly the lighthouse and partly the harbor area, which is both towards the center of Genoa and on the opposite side of the lighthouse. You also get a good look at the harbor from the boardwalk that has been built on the road between the town and Lanterna. You literally walk on the side of some of Genoa’s city walls from the 17th century, and along the route there are displays from different parts of life in and around the harbor and the history of the lighthouse. That trip is interesting in itself.
Palazzo Grimaldi Spinola is one of the many mansions in Genoa that have been included in UNESCO’s list of world cultural heritage. Built in 1593, the elegant mansion was the residence of the Grimaldi family until 1641, after which it changed owners several times over the following centuries, ending up again in the hands of a Spinola, before being given to the Italian state in 1958.
The mansion is a beautiful and period-typical example of the city’s well-kept mansions, which featured inner courtyard environments, loggias and magnificent interior spaces with beautiful art and painted ceilings. Part of the decoration was done by Lazarro Tavaglione in the 17th century and Lorenzo de Ferrari and Gian Battista Natali in the 18th century. During the Second World War, the furnishings on the top floor were unfortunately lost.
Today, Palazzo Grimaldi Spinola is set up as a national gallery. On a visit, you can both experience the mansion and see a large number of works of art by various artists such as Tintoretto and Luca Giordano.
The Belvedere Luigi Montaldo is a terrace that rises above Genoa, and from here there is a formidable view of the Ligurian metropolis. The atmosphere on the terrace is nice with benches under large shady trees and with beautiful mansions as a background for the experience.
You can choose to go up to the fine view, or you can take probably the noblest and most famous of Genoa’s public elevators; the one that connects Piazza del Portello in the center of Genoa with the esplanade in the district of Castellato and thereby the Belvedere Luigi Montaldo.
The elevator was built in 1910 and is an attraction in itself. It starts from a lift station built into the mountain below Castellato and ends in the open after an ascent of 57 meters. At the upper station there is a walk around the lift, and from here there is probably the best view through the windows.
Portofino is an idyllic fishing village that, with its beautiful location and cozy atmosphere, is one of Italy’s pearls along the coast of Liguria. Here, colorful houses are lined up along the harbour, which is the natural center of Portofino.
The city’s history goes back a long way, and it was for example mentioned in 986 by Adelheid of the German-Roman Empire. In 1229 it came under the rule of the Republic of Genoa. The natural harbor developed fishing, which was Portofino’s livelihood, until tourism broke through from the late 1800s, when wealthy tourists from Northern Europe discovered and visited the town in style.
Today, Portofino is an obvious destination from Genoa, and you can get from the big city in a short time to a real Ligurian village, which also gives access to enjoy the water and the wooded mountains in the area.
Villa Durazzo Pallavicini is a beautiful villa with a fine 19th century park in the contemporary romantic English style. There is also a botanical garden here, dating back to 1794, when Clelia Durazzo Grimaldi established it.
The park at the villa was laid out in the years 1840-1846 according to Michele Canzio’s design. In addition to the park’s plantings, there are lakes, lawns, statues and buildings such as a small temple and a pagoda.
In 1928, the facility was donated to the city of Genoa by Matilde Gustinani. It has been renovated and recreated in all its splendor in recent decades, so that today it is a fine example of the gardening art of the mid-1800s.
Cinque Terre is the name of a beautiful stretch of coast on the Italian Riviera in Liguria. The area includes nature along the coast and the five towns of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. The area is designated as the national park Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre, which is included in UNESCO’s list of world heritage.
The coast consists of steep cliffs, where terraces have been built over the centuries, where the cities grew and developed into the beautiful and charming places they are today. The roads here are small and the railway is the best way to visit one or more of the towns.
You get a good impression of the difficult accessibility from the train, as the stations are in some places wedged between two mountains, and in other places the platforms are partly under mountains. You can also sail here from, for example, Genoa and La Spezia, and it is of course a different experience than by train.
Monterosso and Vernazza are the oldest of the five towns, and their history started in the 11th century. All five cities have experienced ups and downs over time. Traditionally, the inhabitants made a living from fishing, while today tourism has given new growth.
Monterosso is a town by the water with an atmospheric center and the possibility of swimming. In the same way is Varnezza, which with its brightly colored houses and central churches is very cozy. Corniglia is located on the rocks on many levels, and here the traditional terraces are very well seen.
Manarola is close to the sea, where the city’s harbor is located, while the city itself is built on the rocks above the sea. Riomaggiore’s center is the port, and the city’s colorful houses are spread out from the port on the hillsides.
La Spezia is a port city located on the Ligurian Sea. It is naturally sheltered in the Gulf of La Spezia, providing space for one of Italy’s major commercial and military ports. For many centuries up to the middle of the 1800s, La Spezia was a small town that was strongly inspired by Genoa and Genoese traditions in, among other things, construction.
In 1861, the Italian government placed a large naval port in La Spezia, which caused the city to grow strongly into the modern port city it is today. Now, for example, a number of cruise ships sail from the harbor on tours in the Mediterranean.
In La Spezia you can see a number of mansions that were primarily built at the beginning of the 20th century. Christ the King Cathedral/Cattedrale di Cristo Rei (Piazza dell’Europa) is also interesting with the modern architecture it represents. The church was built from 1959 and consecrated in 1975. It was built in concrete with a circular church space as the dominant element. The room is 50 meters in diameter and supported by 12 columns, the number of which represents the disciples of Jesus.
Perhaps the biggest attraction is Sankt Jørgen Borg/Castello di San Giorgio (Via XXVII Marzo), which dates back to 1262, when a new facility was built on the site where a smaller fortress had already stood for some time. In 1273, however, the Republic of Genoa conquered La Spezia. The castle was thereby destroyed, and the Doria family took over ownership of large parts of the area.
In 1343 the castle was rebuilt, and over the following centuries it was expanded. The city’s defenses were reorganized in the 19th century, when the Castello di San Giorgio became redundant. However, it was saved and later restored, so that today it stands as a monument from the Middle Ages and as an exciting museum. From the castle there is a fine view of the city and the area, and of details you can see, among other things, the coat of arms of the Republic of Genoa.
Via XX Settembre 16/A
coin.it
Via Fiumara 15-16
fiumara.net
Via XX Settembre 272
mercatoorientale.org
Via Ettore Vernazza
rinascente.it
Via XX Settembre, Via Vernazza, Via Roma, Via Caffa
Acquario di Genova
Ponte Spinola
acquariodigenova.ir
Galata Museo del Mare
Calata De Mari 1
galatamuseodelmare.it
Città dei Bambini
Via Magazzini del Cotone
cittadeibambini.net
Belvedere Luigi Montaldo, (Spianata Castelletto)
Belvedere Luigi Montaldo
Genova’s natural harbor, mild climate and strategically good location have, over time, been the subject of housing and development. The Greeks colonized the area in the 400-500 BC, but possibly the Etruscans were here before then. The town was called Stalia, and the rivals in the area were settlements in today’s Marseille and Vado Ligure. Stalia was later drawn into the Punic wars during which Carthage destroyed the city in 209 BC. as a result of an alliance with Rome.
The Roman Empire was dominant in the Mediterranean for centuries and thus also in Genoa, whose name comes from the Latin word genu, meaning knee. The word and the name refer to the city’s location on the Ligurian coast.
With the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Goths came into being and established the East Gothic Empire in the year 493. It covered modern Italy well and existed until 553, when the Byzantine Empire triumphed out of the Gothic War.
In 568 the Germanic platoons invaded the Italian territory, and in this connection Milan’s bishop fled to Genoa, where he established his seat with the support of the Pope. The Lombards, however, quickly penetrated south to Liguria, which they conquered in 643. The Lombard kingdom consisted of 773, when the Franks took over.
Over the following centuries, it went up and down Genoa. The Franks rebuilt the city’s fortress walls, which had been established by the Romans and destroyed by the Lombards. Another devastation hit the town in the 930s, when Muslim North Africans looted and burned the city that was not immediately rebuilt.
In the following centuries, several urban states emerged in the Italian territory, and among them was the Republic of Genoa, which together with Venice became the strongest and most wealthy of these entities. Genoa was formally subject to the Pope, who, through the city’s bishop, had an official political leader of the city and state.
The real power, however, lay with the number of consuls appointed through election among the voters of the inhabitants. They were elected annually and oversaw the development of the city, which was not least its strength as a major maritime city with shipbuilding, trade and a financial sector as an economic driving force. Genoa built a large fleet and became a great power at sea. On land, the Republic grew to include, among others, Liguria, Piedmont, Corsica and Sardinia today. After the Fourth Crusade of 1202-1204 and the resulting tensions between the State of Venice and the Byzantine Empire, Genoa could even establish itself in the Black Sea with possessions and settlements in Crimea.
The alliance with and the good relationship with the Byzantine Empire meant new prosperity for the city, which together with Pisa was the only one with commercial rights on the Black Sea. A fortunate alliance with Aragon’s rule in Sicily provided further trade and revenue.
The good times did not last, and from the end of the 1300s began the recession of the Republic of Genoa, which had been in a long battle against Venice. In 1380, Genoa was defeated by the Venice Navy during the Battle of Chioggia, and it became the turning point for worse times for the rich city-state. At the same time, the rising Ottoman power affected Genova’s lucrative trade on the Black Sea.
The low point was from the mid-1400s, when France and Aragon fought for influence in the Italian territory. Following threats from the King of Aragon, Genoa’s doge left the city to France in 1458, and Genoa’s new status became the duchy of France. This time, however, only lasted until 1461, when the republic was re-established; this time with support from Milan. Just three years later, Milan itself took power in Genoa, and until the beginning of the 16th century, power changed repeatedly. French control and looting were part of the agenda until the 1520s.
It was also during these bad times from Genoa that Christoffer Columbus was born and grew up in Genoa. He came to the world in 1451, and as a young man traveled to Portugal and Spain, from which he later set out on his expedition, which led to the European rediscovery of America in 1492. Columbus donated funds to a house in his native Genoa, where always had a house where members of his family could spend the night.
In Genoa, many wealthy and influential families lived. One of them was the Doria family, in which Andrea Doria was born in 1466. He came to play a major role for Genoa when, from 1522, he was in French service against Spain. However, Doria broke up with French King Francis I after disagreement over the future of Genoa, and with Spanish help he liberated Genoa from France. In 1528 he was able to reintroduce the dog government to the city and thereby the republic. Without becoming a political head of state, Andrea Doria, until his death in 1560, was Genova’s leader, and during the period 1531-1555 he was also admiral of the Habsburg Navy.
Andrea Doria’s close ties to German-Roman Emperor Karl V also provided support for the re-establishment of the Republic of Genoa. In 1528, Doria granted the first loan to the emperor through the Genovese banks. The banks brought in staggering fortunes from not least discrete financial transactions in the Spanish empire, and part of the wealth was exchanged for the many splendid mansions erected in central Genoa; they continue to stand side by side in the streets of Via Garibaldi and Via Balbi.
The Republic‘s power, prosperity and influence were constantly minimized throughout the 17th century, and it infected Genoa and Genovese banks that had made big money in Spanish business. Weak Spain also had physical consequences, with France bombing Genoa in 1684. About 13,000 cannonballs are believed to have fired against the city from the French navy.
In the 18th century, the downturn for Genoa continued. In 1742, the city lost its last remote possession in the Mediterranean; it was the island and fort of Tabarka in present-day Tunisia.
In 1745, Genoa was forced into the Austrian Succession War with support to France and Spain to avoid the Kingdom of Sardinia’s expansion into the Republic of Genoa. In 1746, however, the city had to surrender to the Austrians, who were, however, thrown back on the gate just to initiate a siege in 1747. In the wake of the defeat, Corsica disbanded in 1755, and as Genoa failed to retain power on the island, the city-state chose to relinquish Corsica to France in 1768.
1797 was the end of the century-old republic. Napoleon’s successful French troops occupied the city and created the French-controlled Ligurian Republic. In 1805, this republic was incorporated in France and divided into departments. Genoa liberated itself in 1814, when British troops also came to the city and proclaimed the reintroduction of the Republic of Genoa. However, the formal result of the Napoleonic era became the result of the Vienna Congress, which decided that Genoa should belong to the Kingdom of Sardinia, which annexed Genoa on January 3, 1815.
The Kingdom of Sardinia in 1815 consisted of both the island of Sardinia and Piedmont just north of Genoa, and for the Genoese there were economic benefits to the new state formation.
Despite favorable trade opportunities, however, there was opposition among the city’s citizens to the foreign monarchy that ruled the former republic. Thoughts and genovesian independence, however, ended bloody when it came to bombing by the local administration and civilians from days 5-11. April 1849. King Vittorio Emanuele II had sent General Alfonso La Marmora to the city to quell a rebellion, and on April 5 he launched a full 36 hours of bombing. The city resisted the pressure until April 11, when upwards of 30,000 troops invaded Genoa.
After the defeat, Genoa fought for an Italian rally, which could create greater political weight and at the same time increase freedom in an expanded kingdom. In 1860, the later national hero, General Giuseppe Garibaldi, started from Genoa with over a thousand volunteers aiming to conquer southern Italy and start a unification of the country. Garibaldi was the front figure of Risorgimento, a movement for just Italian unity. Garibaldi conquered Sicily and won the Kingdom of Naples, and it became the starting point for the entire Kingdom of Italy.
The latter half of the 19th century was a period of great new growth in Genoa. The importance of the harbor continued to grow with more expansions and new yards, and the railways also came to the city this time with several large plants in the 1850-1860s. New city plans with major streets and modern buildings and institutions also popped up on an ongoing basis.
As the end of the 19th century, the beginning of the 20th century was also a time of strong expansion and great growth in Genova’s population. New streets and squares were constructed; eg the magnificent Piazza della Vittoria as a memorial to the First World War. Corso Italia along the Mediterranean was built, and with it the city could expand along the coastline. A symbol of the city’s and country’s ability and prosperity was also the skyscraper Torre Piacentini, who rose from 1935 to 1940 as Europe’s highest of its kind.
With its large port and associated industry, Genoa became a frequent ally bombing target during World War II. The bombings occurred both from the sea and from the air, but despite the devastation and the Italian defeat of the war, Genoa recovered quickly after the war. The city was part of the Northern Italian economic engine, concentrated on the cities of Milan, Turin and Genoa.
In recent years, Genoa has been the center of major events several times. In 1990, football matches were played during this year’s World Cups, held in Italy; moreover, the first metro train in the city ran the same year. Two years later, there was Genoa Expo ’92 in the city, and here the city’s prestigious aquarium also opened as one of Europe’s absolute leaders. In 2001 there was a G8 meeting in the city, and in 2004 Genoa was the European Capital of Culture. Culture and tourism are today an essential industry and visitors have a wealth of experiences to choose from; Among them are Genova’s distinguished mansions, which are listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
Genoa Genova, Italy
Overview of Genoa
Genoa is one of the great and old merchant and trade cities of Northern Italy, and for centuries it was an independent state as the Republic of Genoa. The wealth of this period from trade on the world seas did result in many of the city’s magnificent buildings and sights that you can enjoy today.
A large number of Genova’s distinguished mansions are inscribed on UNESCO’s list of world heritage. The mansions were part of a formal system for receiving important visits during the time of the Republic, and a walk along Via Garibaldi is one of the best places to experience the diversity of the mansion buildings of Genoa’s leading families.
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Palazzo Doria Tursi was built from 1565 by Niccolò Grimaldi and it was completed by Domenico and Giovanni Ponsello. The mansion was built on three plots of land on Via Garibaldi, making it the most impressive of the street’s many fine mansions in terms of size.
Since 1848, the mansion has been partly furnished as an administration building. In part of the large mansion, however, there is also an art museum, which together with the mansions Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Rosso in the same street form a distinguished trilogy for art lovers in the center of Genoa.
The building’s name came about when Giovanni Andrea Doria acquired the building in 1597 for his son Carlo, who was Count of Tursi. It was also at this time that the balconies facing the street were added. The mansion offers farm and garden environments, beautiful decoration, representative halls with ceiling frescoes and an exciting art collection that makes up the local art museum.
Santa Maria di Castello is one of Genoa’s old church buildings. It is located on the Castello hill, from which part of its name derives, and here was formerly a Roman fort.
The church was built around the year 900, and it still stands in the old Romanesque style. Over the later centuries, the church has been decorated with many beautiful works of art, which were often financed by the city’s wealthy families. Many artists are represented; among them are Lorenzo Fasolo, Aurelio Lomi and Francesco Maria Schiaffino.
You can also admire beautiful majolica from the 16th century Genoese school. From the 17th century you can see Domenico Parodi’s beautiful marble sculpture of the ascension, it is part of the high altar. Several chapels such as the baptistery are also worth seeing.
Porto Antico is Genoa’s old harbor and industrial port, which today has been transformed to be one of Genoa’s great assets for locals and tourists alike. For many years, the harbor was shielded from the nearby old town, but this was changed in connection with the celebration of the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ European rediscovery of Europe. It was in 1992, and up to this year the local architect, Renzo Piano, carried out a transformation of the harbor areas to offer culture and experiences.
Today there are several different highlights in activities and entertainment. This concerns, for example, Genoa’s aquarium, which is one of Europe’s largest. In addition to this, there are also preserved buildings from Genoa’s history such as Porta Siberia and the historic cotton warehouses, and there is also various outdoor art and various exciting vessels in the water.
The best way to experience the harbor is to take an exploratory walking tour of the area. You can supplement it with a trip in the panoramic cabin, which is hoisted up above the city and the harbor along the quay quite close to the south of the city’s aquarium.
This church dates back to the 9th century, making it one of the oldest in Genoa. It was built as a three-nave Romanesque basilica, and in 1147 it became a parish church. Since the 12th century, some remodeling has been done, but you can still see elements from the Romanesque church in the current building.
A major and thorough rebuilding took place at the end of the 16th century, while the church’s neoclassical facade is the result of changes in the middle of the 19th century.
In the church you can see several works of art from different periods and artists. These include Giacomo Ponsonelli’s marble altar from 1730 and 15th-century works by Giovanni Mazone and Francesco da Pavia. You can also simply enjoy the totality of works of art, which with its distinguished paintings, ceiling frescoes and overwhelming gilding form one of Genoa’s most breathtaking church spaces.
The Palazzo Ducale is the historic residence of the Dukes of the Republic of Genoa, who ruled from 1339 to 1797, when the state ceased to exist. However, Genoa’s time as an independent state had already begun in 1005, which was before the time of the Doges.
The history of the Doge’s Palace started in the 13th century, when the first buildings arose during the time of the Republic of Genoa before the Doge. The city government acquired additional land from the wealthy Doria family at the end of the 13th century, allowing the building complex to be expanded.
Over the following centuries, the Doge’s Palace was expanded several times. In 1777 it was partially destroyed by a fire, and the following reconstruction took place according to Simone Cantoni’s design in neoclassicism.
Today, the Palazzo Ducale stands as one of Genoa’s many beautiful buildings, and it forms the setting for, among other things, concerts, exhibitions and other cultural events. It takes place on the piano nobile, which is also the example of the doge’s representative rooms and halls.
Of interesting interior and architecture, Den Store Gård/Il Cortile Maggiore and Den Lille Gård/Il Cortile Minore can be mentioned. Elegant columns support the beautiful rooms here. In addition, the Great Council/Il Salone del Maggiore Consiglio and the Small Council/Il Salone del Minor Consiglio are elegantly decorated meeting rooms. Several large meetings have been held here; for example, the palace was the setting for a G8 meeting with Silvio Berlusconi as the Italian host in 2001.
Galleria Mazzini is a covered shopping arcade in the style of those built throughout the 19th century in, for example, Milan with Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and Naples with Galleria Umberto I. The gallery in Genoa was built in the years 1874-1876 in the same style as those mentioned with an impressive iron structure above the street itself in the middle. In addition to the good and old atmosphere in the gallery itself, there are also fine details to be seen in the entrances; e.g. from the street Via Roma.
Porta Soprana stands as one of the finest preserved buildings from medieval Genoa. The city gate was built on top of the ridge Piano di Sant’Andrea in connection with the walls from the 12th century. As the capital of the Republic of Genoa, Genoa has been strongly fortified over time. This happened, among other things, through the city walls, which to this day stand as some of the most impressive in Italy.
The walls are believed to have already been built in Roman times, while there is certainty of knowledge of the walls from the 12th century. These walls enclosed the Roman center and the area north of this old town. In the 12th century walls there were three primary city gates; Porta Aurea, Porta dei Vacca and Porta Soprana.
Over time, the extent of the walls was greatly expanded in several rounds. It culminated with De Nye Mure/Mura Nuove from the middle of the 17th century. These walls encircled the entire city along the coast and on the mountaintops, forming a solid defense for the expanding city. The Porta Soprana stands with its distinctive towers, which came later than the gates themselves. They are a result of the 18th century and a later restoration.
In the square in front of the Piazza Principe railway station, you can see a monument to the city boy Christopher Columbus. It was designed by Lorenzo Bartolini and erected in the mid-1800s.
The monument is richly decorated, and in addition to the actual statue of Columbus on top, you can see reliefs representing scenes from Columbus’ voyages of discovery; Columbus at the Council of Salamanca, the raising of the first cross in America, the reception of Columbus in Spain after the first expedition, and Columbus in chains.
At Columbus’ feet on the top is a Native American maiden, symbolizing America, and Columbus’ other hand rests on an anchor. Around him are four statues representing reason, piety, science and immutability.
Lanterna is the popular name for Genoa’s large lighthouse, which with its characteristic silhouette stands as one of the city’s landmarks. The lighthouse rests on a rock that rises above the surrounding harbor area, and the rock is what remains of Capo di Faro.
The current tower was first illuminated in 1543, but already in the 12th century there was a lighthouse here. Around 1320, a moat was built around the tower to protect it from destruction in any battles such as the Guelphs and Ghibellines had fought against each other.
In 1326, candles were lit with oil for the first time. Olive oil was used, and in the darkness the fire of the tower could then be distinguished from other fires. In 1340, Genoa’s city coat of arms was painted on the tower, which could also be clearly identified in daylight. In the 17th century, the lighthouse was structurally built into Genoa’s city walls, which at the time was called Cerchia Seicentesca.
At 77 meters in height, Lanterna is one of the world’s tallest lighthouses, and from its inauguration in 1543 until 1902, the tower was the tallest of its kind in the world. The lighthouse can also easily be seen in the cityscape today, and next to it you can experience the Lanterna Museum/Museo della Lanterne. At the museum you can experience different themes from the history of both the lighthouse and the town.
Near the entrance to the Museo della Lanterne, you can see the stately gate Porta Nuova, which was built into the rock in the years 1828-1831 as a city gate in connection with changes to the walls and facilities around the lighthouse. The gate itself was then about 50 meters from and at right angles to the current gate, which is simply set up as a preserved facade.
Around the lighthouse there are paths and some green areas, from which there is a good view of partly the lighthouse and partly the harbor area, which is both towards the center of Genoa and on the opposite side of the lighthouse. You also get a good look at the harbor from the boardwalk that has been built on the road between the town and Lanterna. You literally walk on the side of some of Genoa’s city walls from the 17th century, and along the route there are displays from different parts of life in and around the harbor and the history of the lighthouse. That trip is interesting in itself.
Palazzo Grimaldi Spinola is one of the many mansions in Genoa that have been included in UNESCO’s list of world cultural heritage. Built in 1593, the elegant mansion was the residence of the Grimaldi family until 1641, after which it changed owners several times over the following centuries, ending up again in the hands of a Spinola, before being given to the Italian state in 1958.
The mansion is a beautiful and period-typical example of the city’s well-kept mansions, which featured inner courtyard environments, loggias and magnificent interior spaces with beautiful art and painted ceilings. Part of the decoration was done by Lazarro Tavaglione in the 17th century and Lorenzo de Ferrari and Gian Battista Natali in the 18th century. During the Second World War, the furnishings on the top floor were unfortunately lost.
Today, Palazzo Grimaldi Spinola is set up as a national gallery. On a visit, you can both experience the mansion and see a large number of works of art by various artists such as Tintoretto and Luca Giordano.
The Belvedere Luigi Montaldo is a terrace that rises above Genoa, and from here there is a formidable view of the Ligurian metropolis. The atmosphere on the terrace is nice with benches under large shady trees and with beautiful mansions as a background for the experience.
You can choose to go up to the fine view, or you can take probably the noblest and most famous of Genoa’s public elevators; the one that connects Piazza del Portello in the center of Genoa with the esplanade in the district of Castellato and thereby the Belvedere Luigi Montaldo.
The elevator was built in 1910 and is an attraction in itself. It starts from a lift station built into the mountain below Castellato and ends in the open after an ascent of 57 meters. At the upper station there is a walk around the lift, and from here there is probably the best view through the windows.
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