From the Middle Ages to Baroque, from Rationalism to Liberty, from Romanticism to neo Gothic style. Between the mountains and the sea, in Genoa there are architectural and artistic signs of every time: the city is a scenography and its essence is well portrayed in the works of Lele Luzzati.
Especially in the Historic Centre, alleys and squares live together with buildings, which are located just a few meters one from the other, but divided by many centuries of history. Most of the ancient buildings of the area date back to the 11th and 13th century, but were subjected to modifications during the years, and new buildings joined the old ones, creating a mix of times and styles.
Many factors contributed to the variety of Genoese architecture: the habit to build on existing structures, recycling recovered materials from older buildings, many transformations and extensions of preexisting buildings and churches in times of richness and growth of the city, urban revolutions to improve the road network, the destruction brought by bombings and the following reconstructions. In fact the city was bombed at least in three occasions: the attack from the sea by the French fleet in 1684, the one perpetrated by the Savoia against the independentists in 1849 and the one by the Allies during the Second World War.
There is a long history of transformations and high quality architectural and urbanistic interventions, that is why architecture lovers will satisfy their desires exploring the city. If you want to travel trhough the Middle Ages will surely go looking for signs and itineraries in the Historic Centre. Tha Baroque style finds its expression in the churches and ratories of the Historic Centre, but also in the splendid Palazzi dei Rolli. The ones who love the Liberty style will find elgant testimonies in the straight roads and the tree-lined streets of the Foce, where even Rationalism left its spoor, especially in Piazza della Vittoria and in Via delle Brigate Partigiane.
The contemporary architecture lovers cannot miss the Porto Antico restored by Genoese contemporary architect Renzo Piano.
The Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno is a true open-air museum and it is considered one of the most fascinating and important in Europe....
The most important church in Genoa is the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo. The Genoese cathedral and the artistic representations on its walls...
Palazzo Ducale is one f the historic symbols of the city of Genoa: since 1339 it became the residence of the Doge and today it is the main...
Genoa has a harsh territory and it always had to face a public transport issue. Many passengers have to be trasported to the top of steep hills around the...
Palazzo San Giorgio is one of the most relevant and well-known historic buildings in Genoa. Nowadays it hosts the headquarters of the...
Pure Genoa in its veins. Although the Church of San Giorgio is not the only basilica in Genoa with ancient origins and the soldier-saint is...
Nearby the Chiesa di Santa Maria di Castello, set among other buildings, rises the high Tower, traditionally known as “degli Embriaci”, which...
One of the most suggestive churches of the city of Genoa is indeed Santa Maria di Castello, located in the most ancient part of the city. Together the...
The Chiesa del Gesù in maximum expression of international Baroque in Genoa, and here are preserved works of Rubens, Vouet and Carlone....
Encompassing the three areas of the city – the castrum that developed on the hill of Castello, the civitas, which rose up around the...
Located just off one of the most important docks in the city, this was once the site of Genoa’s old grain market, and was known as piazza "dei...
Genoa's main square, a meeting and gathering place for important city events, is dedicated to Raffaele De Ferrari, the Duke of Galliera, a generous...
Teatro Carlo Felice is Genoa's opera house. Designed and built in 1827 by the architect Carlo Barabino, it was completely rebuilt...
The very symbol of Genoa: rebuilt in 1543, it stands on a 40-metre-high rock, bringing the total height to 117 meters above sea level. The 172 stairs can be...
This massive building, dating back to 1551-53, is the work of Galeazzo Alessi and once formed part of the 16th-century walls. Its name derives from "cibaria...
Known as the building site of 16th-century Genoa, this church boasts works by the greatest painters of the second half of the 1500s, including Giovanni...
Together with Piazza De Ferrari, which it is linked to by Via XX Settembre, Piazza della Vittoria – named in honour of Italy after the First World War...
A sacred, uniquely intact Romanesque edifice, the “Commenda” is instantly recognisable from afar and, once seen, lingers long in the memory, with its stark...
Genoa's historic aqueduct is an impressive structure, built to supply the city with water at the start of the 1200s and subsequently enlarged and improved...
The church was founded in 1125 by Martino Doria and later rebuilt in a Gothic style. Visible under the right-hand window is the marble slab of the tomb of...