t The impressive fountain on Piazza de Ferrari in the heart of Genoa
There is something refreshingly rough-edged about Genoa (Genova in Italian), Italy’s most important commercial port. In contrast to the genteel resorts along the neighbouring coast, the narrow streets of the old town have a gritty industrial feel to them. With its natural harbour and the mountains to protect it, Genoa rose to prominence as a sea-based power. The palazzi of Via Balbi and Via Garibaldi, and the paintings and sculptures dotted around the city in churches and museums, are among the finest in northwestern Italy.
t The impressive fountain on Piazza de Ferrari in the heart of Genoa
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The Duomo, with its black-and-white-striped exterior, blends many architectural styles, from the 12th-century Romanesque side portal of San Giovanni to the Baroque touches of some of its chapels.
The most sumptuous of the chapels is dedicated to St John the Baptist, patron saint of the city; it includes a 13th-century sarcophagus that once held the venerated saint’s relics.
Steps lead down from the sacristy to the Museo del Tesoro di San Lorenzo. It houses such treasures as a glass dish said to have been used at the Last Supper, and the plate on which the head of John the Baptist was allegedly served up to Salome.
§ 010 254 12 50 # 9am–noon & 3–6pm Mon–Sat
The port is the heart of Genoa and the origin of its power as a seafaring city state in the 11th and 12th centuries. A workaday place, it is ringed by roads and 1960s buildings.
Among the vestiges of its medieval glory is the Lanterna lighthouse (restored in 1543) near the Stazione Marittima. Fires would be lit at the top of the Lanterna to guide ships into port. Today, regeneration of the port is in part due to the Renzo Piano-designed conference centre and the Aquarium, one of the largest in Europe and teeming with diverse marine life.
⌂ Ponte Spinola # Mar–Jun & Sep–Oct: 9am–8pm Mon–Fri, 8:30am–9pm Sat–Sun & pub hols; Jul–Aug: 8:30am–10pm; ∑ acquariodigenova.it
Hidden Gem
The pretty 12th-century cloisters standing in this garden are all that remain of the convent that once stood here.
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STAY Meliá Genova This five-star hotel has bright and airy rooms and suites decorated in subdued, neutral hues. There are in-room tea- and coffee-making facilities, and the bathrooms are spacious. ⌂ Via Corsica 4 ∑ melia.com ¡¡¡ Le Nuvole Set in a 16th-century palace decorated with 17th-century frescoes, Le Nuvole has been meticulously restored to its former glory. Rooms are chic and contemporary, with big, airy windows designed to let in plenty of light. Breakfast is very good, and there is a free afternoon buffet and cocktail hour every day. ⌂ Piazza delle Vigne 6 ∑ hotellenuvole.it ¡¡¡ |
This Gothic church was begun in 1260, but destroyed in World War II. It is now deconsecrated and all that remains of the original building is the Gothic bell tower, decorated with coloured tiles. The monastery, of which the church was once a part, was also bombed. What remained were two ruined cloisters – one of which forms the only triangular building in Genoa. The cloisters have been converted into the Museo di Architettura e Scultura Ligure, which houses the city’s collection of architectural pieces, some dating back to the Roman era, along with fragments of sculpture and frescoes – all salvaged from Genoa’s other destroyed churches. The finest piece is a fragment from the tomb of Margaret of Brabant, who died in 1311. She was the wife of Emperor Henry VII, who invaded Italy in 1310. Carved by Giovanni Pisano around 1313, the sculptures from her tomb were restored in 1987.
" § 010 251 12 63 # 10 Oct–26 Mar: 9:30am–6:30pm Tue–Sun; 27 Mar–9 Oct: 9am–7pm Tue–Fri, 10am–7:30pm Sat & Sun ¢ Pub hols
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Eat Here are the best gelaterie in Genoa. Gelateria Profumo The decor is old-fashioned and so are the flavours but that’s part of the magic. Make sure you try the pistachio and crema flavours. ⌂ Vico Superiore del Ferro 14 ¢ Sun & Mon ¡¡¡ Profumo di Rosa At ice-cream shop, Rosa prepares all the gelato herself. Fragola (strawberry) is the most popular flavour. ⌂ Via Cairoli 13 ¢ Sun ¡¡¡ Excelsa This gelateria does gelato in tiny dessert cups, with interesting flavour combinations such as salted caramel and peanuts. ⌂ Via Oreste de Gaspari 12–14 ¡¡¡ U Gelatu du Caruggiu Whipped cream and nuts will be added to every order here. ⌂ Via di San Bernardo ¢ Mon ¡¡¡ Gelaterie Genovesi Sorbets are the best pick here: choose from lemon, strawberry, raspberry or chocolate. ⌂ Corso Sardegna 1 ¢ Sat ¡¡¡ |
t Cobblestone mosaic around the fountain at the Palazzo Reale
Used by members of the House of Savoy royal family from the 17th century onwards, this austere-looking residence has a highly ornate Rococo interior – most notably in its ballroom and its Hall of Mirrors. Among the collection of old master paintings is a Crucifixion by Van Dyck. The pretty garden, which slopes down towards the old port, includes an intriguing cobblestone mosaic around the central fountain, depicting houses and animals.
Opposite the palace is the old university (1634), which was designed by Bartolomeo Bianco, as was much of Via Balbi. The large building brilliantly overcomes Genoa’s hilly topography, and is constructed on four levels.
The Palazzo Bianco is situated on Genoa’s most beautiful street, Via Garibaldi, where there are numerous fine 16th-century mansions and palazzi. It houses the city’s best collection of paintings, including wonderful works by Filippino Lippi, Veronese and Caravaggio, as well as pieces by Dutch and Flemish masters Rubens, Van Dyck and Memling. Paintings by local Genoese artists such as Luca Cambiaso, Bernardo Strozzi and Domenico Piola are also on display. At No. 9 Via Garibaldi, Palazzo Tursi hosts the Lord Mayor’s boardrooms, as well as an extension of the Palazzo Bianco Gallery. Across the street in the Palazzo Rosso is another great art collection, featuring works by Caravaggio and Dürer, as well as ceramics and furniture.
" § 010 557 21 93 # As for Palazzo Bianco
" § 010 275 91 85 # As for Palazzo Bianco
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The name of Cristoforo Colombo, or Christopher Columbus, as English speakers know him, is in evidence all over Genoa. A statue of the explorer of the New World greets those emerging into Piazza Acquaverde from Porta Principe railway station and various public buildings bear his name. In 17th-century Palazzo Belimbau, built on top of the old city walls, is a series of frescoes by the local artist Tavarone celebrating the explorer’s life, and three of his letters are in the Sala del Sindaco in Palazzo Tursi (the city hall) on Via Garibaldi. It is not certain whether Columbus (c.1451–1506) was born in Genoa, in Savona, 15 km (9 miles) to the west, or even outside Italy. However, city registers mention his father and various family homes within the city. The small ivy-clad house adjacent to Porta Soprana may have been Columbus’s childhood home.
Established in 1844, this grandiose cemetery is situated just over the hills northeast of Genoa along the Bisagno River, and is so large that it has its own bus system. The cemetery’s tombs and monuments make up an eerie city of miniature cathedrals, Art Nouveau palaces and Egyptian temples. Its most famous resident is Giuseppe Mazzini, the Genoese revolutionary who died near Pisa in 1872.
Until World War II, the town of Pegli, 6 km (4 miles) west of the city centre, was a popular weekend retreat for rich Genoese. Now it forms part of the city, but maintains an air of tranquillity thanks mainly to its picturesque public parks and its two famous villas: the Villa Durazzo-Pallavicini and the Villa Doria Centurione, Museo Navale.
The 19th-century Villa Durazzo-Pallavicini houses an archaeological museum relating the pre-Roman history of the Ligurian coast. The villa’s 19th-century garden is landscaped with romantic grottoes, pavilions and fountains. It also has a small botanical garden that contains a number of interesting specimens.
The 16th-century Villa Doria Centurione is now a naval history museum celebrating Genoa’s glorious maritime past. Among the exhibits on display here are compasses, astrolabes, globes, model ships and a portrait of Columbus, ascribed to Ghirlandaio, probably dating from 1525.
⌂ Via Pallavicini 11, Pegli § 010 698 10 48 # 9am–7pm Tue–Fri (from 10am Sat & Sun) ¢ Pub hols
⌂ Piazza Bonavino 7, Pegli § 010 696 98 85 # 9am–1:30pm Tue–Fri (6pm Sat, 1pm Sun) ¢ Pub hols