{"id":32053,"date":"2021-10-14T16:28:52","date_gmt":"2021-10-14T14:28:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bellitalie.org\/?post_type=destination&p=32053"},"modified":"2026-09-30T14:05:31","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T12:05:31","slug":"genoa","status":"publish","type":"destination","link":"https:\/\/www.bellitalie.org\/en\/destination\/liguria\/genoa\/","title":{"rendered":"Genoa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"gate<\/a><\/strong>Genoa<\/strong> is the large city and capital of Liguria, with nearly 550,000 inhabitants.
This former powerful maritime republic is today a city rather neglected by tourism, although it is an active city that benefits from a varied heritage and authenticity.<\/p>\n

The urban layout extends between the coastal strip with its vast port and the heights of the old town<\/strong><\/a> with its old gates, its tall houses, its maze of alleys called (the caruggi<\/em> typical of Liguria), its stairways and its small squares.
The heart of the post-medieval centre of Genoa is via Garibaldi<\/strong><\/a> and Piazza De Ferrari<\/strong><\/a>. Among the remarkable buildings are San Lorenzo Cathedral<\/strong><\/a>, the Ducal Palace<\/strong><\/a> from the 13th century, the Carlo Felice Opera<\/strong><\/a> Theatre, the Strada Nuova<\/strong> with the Baroque and Renaissance palaces of the Rolli Palaces<\/strong><\/a>.
Near the port and the old arsenals, the Genoa Aquarium<\/strong><\/a> is one of the largest in Europe with 70 tanks and 800 species, close to the Sea Museum<\/strong><\/a> and other interesting museums such as the Museum of Science and Technology.<\/p>\n

\n

Historical aspects<\/h2>\n

Genoa<\/strong> was in the Middle Ages a powerful maritime republic<\/strong>, rivalling Pisa<\/strong> and Venice<\/strong> for control of trade in the Mediterranean, more particularly in the East. It also played an important role during the Christian crusades by supplying ships and provisions. The port has kept up intense activity throughout its history, still ongoing today. It is also the birthplace of Christopher Columbus<\/strong>, but also of de Andr\u00e9<\/strong>, a contemporary icon of Italian song.<\/p>\n

Another significant economic aspect was the development during the Renaissance of a powerful capitalism, based on the investment of the great merchant families in numerous banks. The latter were among the most influential and wealthiest banks in Europe, this without a real political government (in a way one of the first “liberal capitalisms”), selling their services to various European powers, sometimes to rivals, which could lead the Genoese to sometimes clash indirectly among themselves.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

Monuments in Genoa<\/h2>\n

See the page: What to see in Genoa<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\u2316<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\tShow interactive map<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t