Attractions of Genoa: how to see all the fun

Among the numerous settlements of the world there is an old port city with labyrinths of medieval streets, which is simply replete with a huge number of attractions - Genoa. It is the capital of Liguria. Here, history and modernity are closely intertwined with each other: the ancient majestic palaces perfectly harmonize with multi-storey skyscrapers, quiet narrow streets perfectly complement the wide lively avenues. Genoa is not such a simple city as it seems at first glance. Many interesting places are hidden from the curious views of tourists. That's why I want to describe the most significant sights of Genoa, so as not to miss anything interesting during the trip.

The majestic palaces of the Rolly

Undoubtedly, the main sights of Genoa (Italy) are luxurious palaces that are located in the historic center of the city, in a block along the streets of Balbi and Garibaldi. All of them were erected in the XVI-XVII centuries and are called the palaces of the Rolly. In the most famous of them are open museums and galleries, but about everything in order. Of all the palaces of the Rolly, the most interesting are the Palazzo Bianco (the White Palace), Palazzo Rosso (the Red Palace) and Palazzo Turci, located on Garibaldi Street. Palazzo Rosso was built in the XVII century from red stone and has a unique architecture. Currently, it houses a museum that represents an excellent collection of ceramics, furniture, coins, textiles and various art objects. Opposite to it two palaces immediately rise: Palazzo Bianco, which is the largest palace in the street, and Palazzo Turcy. In both, there are also museums.

In addition, several worthy palaces are located on Via Baldibi, among which the Royal Palace (Palazzo Reale), dating from the 17th century. Here is the national gallery, where the sculptures and paintings of the best artists of the city are kept. There is another significant cultural object - Palazzo San Giorgio Palace, which was once the first bank in the world and is a source of huge revenues for the city. Among other palaces can be identified Palazzo Spinola, located on Pelicheria Square. Its main decoration is a magnificent facade in the Rococo style.

Old Port

Continuing to explore the sights of Genoa, in the historic center you can visit the Old Port - the territory on the shore of an ancient bay. It is from here that Genoa originates, so this part of the city can be called his heart. Now the Old Port has turned into a cultural and educational entertainment center. His heart is Piazza Caricamento. Earlier on this place there was a port area, therefore even now one can see ancient facades of former customs warehouses. The decoration of the square is the Palazzo San Giorgio, whose façade is decorated with frescoes of the XVII century. Currently, the port administration is located here. Opposite the square is the pier of Ponte Spinola, next to which is the botanical garden Biosphere. It is a huge glass sphere, inside of which is located an entire ecosystem of tropical plants and animals. Near the adjacent pier there is the Bigo lift, rising to a height of 40 meters, and the National Museum of Antarctica, where you can learn more about the studies of this continent.

Aquarium

Continuing to describe the sights of Genoa, located in the Old City, you can not forget about the aquarium, located at the pier of Ponte Spinola. It is one of the largest in Europe, second only to the oceanarium located in Valencia. The Genoese aquarium covers an area of almost a hectare and consists of 70 tanks with water, ranging from small aquariums to whole pools. Here live more than 5000 representatives of the living world of the Ligurian Sea, the Atlantic, the Caribbean Sea and other places encountered on the way of Christopher Columbus. All of them are contained in an environment as close as possible to the natural. Unforgettable emotions and impressions can be obtained by taking part in the feeding of animals. Every year more than one million tourists visit this place.

Also in the aquarium, scientific research is conducted, aimed at studying the problems of ecology and conservation of natural ecosystems.

Ferrari Square

After visiting all the most interesting places of the Old Port, we will go to Piazza Ferrari, which is the main square of the city of Genoa. It is simply impossible to view the sights in one day in full, but we will try to focus on the most significant. So, Piazza Ferrari is in the heart of the city. In the center of the square a unique fountain is built - one of the business cards of the city. There are various city holidays, concerts, rallies and parades.

In the northern part you can see the bronze monument of Giuseppe Garibaldi, behind which stands the theater of Carlo Felice. This magnificent neoclassical building with large columns, dating from 1828, is one of the largest in Europe.

A little to the right of the theater is the palace of the Ligurian Academy of Fine Arts, built in 1825. Currently, it houses the Museum of Fine Arts.

In the southeastern part of the square stands the palace of the New Exchange, behind which stands a beautiful example of the eclectic architecture of the twentieth century - the Palace of the Region of Liguria. There are several religious buildings here, which we will talk about a little later.

The most ancient building of the square is the Ducal Palace (Palazzo Ducale), the main façade of which goes to the adjacent Place Matteotti. It is a museum complex, where a variety of exhibitions are held. Especially popular among tourists are the frescoes of Giuseppe Izola, located in the halls of the Small and Great Councils.

Area of Banks

But this is not all that can show its guests Genoa. Sights (reviews confirm this), located on the Banks Square, also attract the attention of tourists. Here is preserved the old trade building Loggia dei Marcanti - the merchant gallery, built in the XVI century. It carried out all major trading operations, and a little later the trade exchange was located. Now in this building there are various cultural events.

Architectural constructions of religious character

The sights of Genoa are numerous churches and churches, headed by the San Lorenzo Cathedral, located 150 meters west of the Ferrari Square. Its facade is decorated with strips of two-tone marble and has three portals. Above the entrance is depicted Jesus Christ and Saint Laurence, and on the sides - bas-reliefs with lions. No less impressive is the interior of the building, executed in the Romanesque style, which is complemented by Gothic columns. Here you can see a lot of sculptures, frescoes and paintings. In the basement of the cathedral is his treasury - Tezoro, which holds about 500 exhibits.

We should also mention the basilicas, among which the most beautiful is the Basilica della Santissima Annunziata del Vastato, towering in the historic part of the city, on the Nunziata Square. Its facade is made in neoclassical style. Thousands of tourists are attracted to the luxurious interior with magnificent frescoes, sculptures and paintings by famous Italian artists.

In the square of Ferrari is the Jesuit Church of Saints Ambrose and Andrew. The 12th-century Santa Maria di Castello church, built in Romanesque style, and the nearby Dominican monastery are of interest to those tourists who are not indifferent to the fine arts. Here you can see the frescoes of the XV century.

Other interesting buildings

The city also has other popular buildings from the Middle Ages. Perhaps not all of these Genoa attractions on the map are marked, but they are all very popular with tourists. These include three city gates: Porta Soprana, Porta dei Vacca and Porta Siberia. The Port of Soprana was considered the most important and large, as they went out onto the road leading to Rome. As a result of the rapid growth of the city, whose borders have moved far beyond the gates, in the XIV century they lost their main guard function. Currently, the gates of Porta Soprana are completely restored and open to visitors.

Great interest among the sights is represented by two houses in which previously lived such famous personalities as Niccolo Paganini and Christopher Columbus. The house of the latter is located 50 meters from the gate of Porta Soprana. It is a two-story building, inside which is housed an ethnographic museum.

The main attractions of the city include the lighthouse La Lanterna, whose height is 117 meters. It is considered a symbol of the settlement of Genoa. The photos (sights of the city) presented here can not convey the true beauty of all the buildings. You get a completely different impression, seeing it all with your own eyes.

Museums of the city

Finally, I want to talk about those museums that are recommended to visit in the first place. One of the most popular is the Galata Sea Museum, dedicated to the history of navigation. It is the largest institution of its kind in the whole Mediterranean. It is located in the Palazzo Galata. The Tesero Museum deserves attention, and we have already mentioned it above. In the magnificent fortress on the street Dogali there is a museum of world culture, where collections are presented, telling about the culture of America, Africa and Oceania. It will be interesting to visit the National Museum of Antarctica, which tells about icebergs, ice, meteorites and much more.