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Genoa
Genova (Genoa) City is the capital of the Ligurian region of northern Italy, a fierce seaside town that was used by the ancient inhabitants of the area, the Liguarians, Etruscans, until even the Greeks and Romans.
Visitors to the heart of Genoa include are invited to visit the Piazza de Ferrari where the Opera and palace are located. On the piazza is also the house where explorer Christopher Columbus of the Rennaisance age was said to have been born.
Discovering the town on foot or by local bus is a joy to behold, with the sea breeze in one’s hair. Near the famed piazzas is one of the most reknown cultural heritage sites of the city. It is the World Heritage site Strada Nuova (now Via Garibaldi) in the old city of Genoa that catches the most attention. The street with its herringbone steps houses the 16th Century patrician palaces for the most eminent Genoan families.
Visitors are invited to enter these grand homes in Rennaisance period décor and architecture, particurly the Palazzo Rosso and the museum housed within it, as well as the Palazzo Bianco, Palazzo Grimaldi and Palazzo Reale. The famous art college, Musei di Strada Nuova and the Palazzo del Principe are also located on this street.
Visitors are also invited to se the awesome architecture of the St. Lawrence Cathedral (Cattedrale di San Lorenzo) and the famous cemetery of Staglieno, as well as the Museo d'Arte Orientale, for one of the largest collections of Oriental art in Europe. Other than the Via Garibalde, lovely Genoese neighbourhoods can also be found in Boccadasse to the east of the city.
For those wanting a whiff of the salt-air, a trip to the Old Harbor (Porto Antico) that has most recently been transformed into a mall by architect Renzo Piano, will conjure up past memories of the city’s affairs with the sea. Genoa also has a large aquarium and an ancient working lighthouse, called La Lanterna (The Lantern), which has the distinction of being the oldest and tallest brick working lighthouse in the world.
