The elegant and bright Piazza delle Vigne is dominated by one of the oldest and most important Genoese churches, the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Vigne, surrounded by noble palaces. The name of the square is due to the fact that during the tenth-eleventh centuries, right here there were some vineyards which disappeared with the urbanization of the area by the Grillo family, owners of the buildings located in front of them.
The majestic neoclassical facade of the church was built in 1842 on the previous building of 1640, which is still revealed in the sumptuous interior decorations. The interiors represent the triumph of the seventeenth-century Genoese Baroque, although the basilica had a Romanesque structure. It was in fact founded in 981 and only the high bell tower with mullioned and windows of five lights and octagonal spire flanked by pinnacles is visible today.
The interior wall decoration took place over several periods of time, stretching from the 17th to the 19th century, which is why one can find a particular juxtaposition of styles. Leaving the side door of the right aisle, it is possible to admire the 15th-century portal, surmounted by a statue of the Padreterno and a lunette frescoed by Piola.
Back to the square, to the left of the main façade, after entering Vico del Campanile delle Vigne, you can glimpse the cloister of the Canonici delle Vigne (12th century). Passing under the archivolt, on your right, you can see the suspended tomb of Incisa Vivaldi, from 1304, enriched by a Roman sarcophagus front from the 2nd century, representing The Death of Phaedra.