Genoa

the great lighthouse"La Lanterna" is a symbol of Genoa, which, with its 77 meters of height above an elevation of 40 meters, dominates the seafront. Built in the 16th century, in the most prosperous era of the city, for centuries it has been a reference point for sailors and visitors to the great maritime city.

The historic center is located east of the port, in the immediate vicinity. It is easily reachable both from the Genova Principe railway station and from Genova Brignole. The airport, on the other hand, is about five kilometers away and it is advisable to use public transport.

The historic center is full of huge and ornate buildings dating back to the medieval period, which were built by the wealthy merchant families of the city. The evocative streets of the historic center of Genoa are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, together with the 42 Palazzi dei Rolli, emblem of the city's wealth in the 15th century.

Another striking palace palace worth seeing is Palazzo San Giorgio, which, with its light color, colorful paintings and gilded images, strikes the eye at first sight.

Piazza De Ferrari is not lacking, which, with its splendid buildings around it, remain an excellent cover image. Close to this square there is also the Doge's Palace and the Cathedral. Still close to the square but in the opposite direction to Palazzo Ducale, there is the House of Christopher Columbus and the Cloister of Sant'Andrea, other suggestive and interesting places to see.

Inserted among the assets of the Unesco Heritage, the beautiful Via Garibaldi, is home to the unique museum itinerary dedicated to ancient art that connects the three historic municipal properties such as Palazzo Rosso, Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Doria Tursi. In the first palace, the seventeenth-century residence of the Brignole, the rooms contain the historical furnishings and art collections that the noble family collected in more than two centuries.

The White Palace houses a valuable collection of Italian, Flemish, Dutch, French and Spanish paintings from the 16th to the 18th century.

Finally, the aristocratic Palazzo Doria Tursi, as well as hosting the statutory halls of the Mayor, has a remarkable display of decorative art and houses the famous Paganini violin from 1734.

The Palazzi dei Rolli are the beautiful residences of the Genoese nobility who, at the turn of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, offered hospitality to illustrious people passing through the city. Since 2006, forty-two of these prestigious buildings have been recognized by UNESCO as"the expression of a singular social and economic identity that inaugurates the urban architecture of the modern age in Europe". A walk through the Balbi, Garibaldi, Lomellini and San Luca streets will lead you to discover these historic homes and a rich past that has made hospitality a cultural model. The buildings can be visited during the Rolli Days that the Municipality of Genoa organizes on almost every weekend.

The majestic Cathedral of San Lorenzo was built starting in the 9th century and was remodeled until the 16th century, which explains the different architectural styles both outside and inside.

The city cathedral presents itself to the visitor with its beautiful gothic façade in Genoese style with French influences, as evidenced by the arrangement of the portals and the central rose window. The lateral sides with the two portals date back to the Romanesque period, while the dome and the bell tower are from the 16th century.

The Genoa aquarium located in the Porto Antico is the largest aquarium in Italy and the second in Europe, a unique experience among pavilions with over 70 tanks, where you can admire a great variety of fish and other animals aquatic. In the Porto Antico there are other tourist attractions, such as the Biosphere(right next to the aquarium), the Bigo and the Arena del Mare.

The Galata Museo del Mare is, on the other hand, the largest maritime museum in the Mediterranean, dedicated to the history of navigation, near the Porto Antico.