Sights of the Italian Genoa (Genova) attract tourists with picturesque beauty and unique architecture. Labyrinths of narrow streets, ramparts, graceful palaces, churches, will not leave indifferent even many tourists who have seen. Cristoforo Colombo was born here. Therefore, any Genoese will point to the house where the great traveler grew up. There is also a palace where Marco Polo languished in prison, and in the Old Port you can see one of the largest aquariums in the world and a very old lighthouse.
Ferrari Square
The main street of the city is Piazza De Ferrari. She got her name thanks to the Duke Rafael de Ferrari. So the Genoese immortalized a famous diplomat, financier and benefactor.
In former times, the square was smaller, and adjacent to the monastery and the church of St. Domenic. When Napoleon captured the city, barracks and warehouses were equipped in the monastery complex. That is why by the beginning of the nineteenth century the monastery and the church were so dilapidated that the authorities decided to dismantle the temple and reconstruct the square.
By 1828, the area was transformed. The area acquired a square shape, expanded significantly, new buildings appeared. In front of the opera house in 1879, a bronze monument was installed depicting Giuseppe Garibildi on horseback (Giuseppe Garibaldi Monument).
In 1936, a large rounded fountain, Fontana di Piaggio, was installed on the Piazza De Ferrari. It was named after the family, which sponsored the construction. Behind the fountain is the former Stock Exchange building. A few years ago, the Ferrari metro station was opened on the square.
The houses of Piazza De Ferrari are also interesting. Previously, the oldest stock exchange in Italy was located here (closed in 1998), there are also attractions such as the Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale), the Teatro Carlo Felice Theater and other interesting houses.
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Theater Carlo Felice
Teatro Carlo Felice is the main theater of Genova, erected on the site of the former monastery complex and the church of San Domenico. The opening of the attraction took place in 1828. The name of the opera house immortalized the ruler of Genoa, Duke Carlo Felice of Savoy (Carlo Felice di Savoia). For forty winters, Giuseppe Verdi staged performances here.
World War II severely destroyed the opera, and the Genoese for a long time could not restore the theater. Restoration work began in 1987 under the project of Aldo Rossi (Aldo Rossi) and completed four years later. The facade and some details of the interior were preserved.
Now Teatro Carlo Felice is considered one of the most capacious in Europe: it is designed for two thousand spectators.
Doge's Palace
The Ducal Palace (Palazzo Ducale), which is known as the Doge's Palace, is the oldest building in the square. The main façade is located on Piazza Matteotti, while Ferrari is facing a side wall. They lived in the Doge’s house until the end of the eighteenth century, until Bonaparte abolished this post.
Built landmarks at the beginning of the thirteenth century, during the heyday of Genoa, commissioned by the captains of the ships Oberto Spinola and Corrado Doria. They bought several houses, ordered to demolish and erect a new building in their place. Then they added a palace with a tower located next to the building. In 1339, the first Doge of Genoa, Simon Boccanegra, settled in the palace.
Since then, Palazzo Ducale has been rebuilt many times, so it combines styles from different eras. It consists of several buildings, inside which a huge number of galleries, elegant courtyards, passages, towers. Marble columns, arched vaults, a monumental staircase attract attention. Here is the Big and Small Hall of Soviets, a chapel, a prison, where violinist Niccolò Paganini languished for a while.
Now the Ducal Palace is a museum. It constantly holds exhibitions, cultural events, organizes meetings at the highest level.
Museum of the Academy of Ligurian Art
The palace of the Ligurian Academy of Fine Arts (Accademia Ligustica di Belle Arti) is located to the right of Teatro Carlo Felice, in house number five. He designed the building project of Carlo Barabino in 1825.
At the bottom of the academy there is a museum with works by Donatode Bardi, Orazio De Ferrari, Serafino De Tivoli and other masters. It exhibited paintings, ceramics, marble and bronze sculptures, and other exhibits.
Port
The port of Genoa is located between the northern part of Italy and southern Europe. That is why it is very convenient for sailors, businessmen, politicians.
The port stretched along the coast for twenty-two kilometers, has four entrances: east, west, Multedo and Voltri. There are many terminals, each of which is designed to receive ships of a certain type. Moorings are provided in the port for both merchant and passenger ships, and for private ships.
For tourists, the old port is of interest. Here is a thousand-year-old lighthouse, a huge city aquarium, the Maritime Museum, the Biosphere Botanical Garden. After filming Roman Polanski's film "Pirates", a three-masted frigate was left here, attracting the attention of both children and adults. The Maritime Museum of the Mediterranean Sea is also interesting, the exhibits of which tell about the whole history of navigation, from oar boats to modern ships.
And you can see all this if you rise above the port on the Bigo lift. Its design is designed so that it rotates with three hundred and sixty degrees.
Piazza Caricamento
Piazza Caricamento is considered the center of the Old Port. It is located a fifteen minute walk from Piazza Ferrari.
The most famous palace in the square is the Palazzo San Giorgio. Built a house in the XIII century. for the uncle of the first doge of Genoa, captain Guglielmo Boccanegra (Guglielmo Boccanegra). When the captain was sent a link, the house became a prison, of which Marco Polo was the most famous prisoner: he was captured here when he fought with the Genoese. Here, he said, he wrote stories about the adventures of a traveler, the Italian writer Rusticello, who was sitting with him in prison.
La Lanterna Lighthouse
La Lanterna Lighthouse is a fifteen minute walk from Dinegro Metro Station. It is a symbol of the city and the highest lighthouse of the Mediterranean Sea: the height of La Lanterna is 77 m, and 375 steps lead upstairs. He is also very old: the history of the lighthouse began in 1128.
They built Lanterna on the hill of San Benigno, far beyond the city limits, and he lit the way for ships that went from France. To keep the fire, the rangers used firewood, mainly from dry juniper. Money for the maintenance of the lighthouse and the maintenance of its work was allocated by the Genoese from the collection, which they took from the ships for mooring in the port of the city. Two centuries later, the Genoese installed a lamp operating on olive oil on the tower. Thanks to this, the ships saw the light of the lighthouse better.
The lighthouse not only illuminated the road, but also served as a defensive fortification in the struggle between clans. Therefore, he was often under siege. That is why in 1326 the inhabitants of Genoa dug a protective trench around the tower in order to reduce the likelihood of any of the warring parties entering the lighthouse.
At the beginning of the fifteenth century, Lanterna was rebuilt, after which the lighthouse became also a prison. Here they held hostage to the King of Cyprus, Jean II de Lusignan (FR. Jean II de Lusignan) with his wife, who unsuccessfully tried to free Cyprus from Genoese trade dependence.
During the war with the French, the lighthouse was badly damaged, but already in 1543 the Genoese restored the tower. In the seventeenth century, a lighthouse was included in the line of a gradually expanding city. In the eighteenth, Fresnel rotating lenses were installed on it. At the beginning of the twentieth century, electricity was brought here.
The last major reconstruction was done after the end of World War II, during which the lighthouse was badly damaged. Now, next to the tower is a museum where you can get acquainted with the history of the city, port, see objects and archives related to maritime navigation. Among the exhibits are Fennel lenses, having studied which, you can understand the scheme of the lighthouse.
Galata Maritime Museum
The Galata Maritime Museum (Galata Museo del Mare) is located in the Old Port. The exact address: Calata De Mari, 1. The exhibition center covers an area of 10 thousand m2, and therefore it is one of the largest museums in the Mediterranean Sea.
Among the exhibits are reconstructions of shipyards from the Middle Ages, ship models, navigation charts, instruments. There are globes, paintings, ancient weapons and even monsters from medieval books. The tour is accompanied by visual and sound effects that convey the atmosphere of this place. Much attention is paid to Christopher Columbus, a native of these lands.
Near the building is a submarine, which can be accessed for a fee. There is also a seventeenth-century brigantine, which allows you to understand the structure of the ships of those times.
For many visitors at the top of the museum there is a terrace with views of the city, port and the Gulf of Genoa.
Aquarium
Italy's largest aquarium is located in Genoa. It is called Acquario di Genova and covers an area of 3100 m2, while almost 10 thousand m2 is accessible for visitors inside the building. Attraction is located in the Old Port, on the pier Ponte Spinola. It was built in 1992 in honor of the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus.
The building was constructed as a ship ready for launching. A few years later it was expanded by adding a hundred-meter ship, which is connected to the main building by a bridge.
Inside the aquarium there are seventy aquariums and pools where sea and river inhabitants live (sharks, dolphins, octopuses, turtles, jellyfish). In addition to them, amphibians and reptiles live in the Aquarium.
When visiting Acquario di Genova, you need to know that You can take pictures inside, but only without a flash. Otherwise, you can harm the marine inhabitants.
Biosphere
The Botanical Garden Biosphere (La Biosfera) is located near the Aquarium.
It is a huge glass sphere, inside of which an imitation of the rainforest is placed. Not only plants grow here, but also birds, iguanas, butterflies, parrots live. Piranha live in the brook.
The tour takes a maximum of ten minutes. This time is enough to go around the garden along the path.
Churches
There are a lot of churches in Genoa and each of them is a masterpiece: the best architects developed the building designs, and eminent masters designed it. Because paintings, sculptures, murals of Genoese temples are amazing.
Jesuit Church of Saints Ambrose and Andrew
Chiesa del Gesù e dei Santi Ambrogio e Andrea can be found in Piazza Matteotti. One of the buildings of the temple overlooks Piazza De Ferrari.
The construction began in the sixth century: it was then that the bishop of Milan erected the church here, who escaped during the persecution of Genoa. The church passed to the Jesuits in the middle of the sixteenth century. They remade the temple and decorated it with paintings by Rubens, Giovanni Merano, Giovanni Carlone and other masters of the XVI-XVII centuries.
The facade of the temple again needed to be rebuilt at the end of the nineteenth century after the passage between it and the Doge's Palace was destroyed. When developing a new project, the masters took advantage of Rubens' excursions. After completion of the work, sculptures of Andrei and Ambrose were installed on the facade.
Cathedral of San Lorenzo
The San Lorenzo Temple (Cattedrale di San Lorenzo) was erected on the Piazza San Lorenzo, one hundred and fifty meters from the Piazza De Ferrari. The church is named after the martyr St. Lorenzo who died in death, at the burial site of which they first erected a chapel, and at the beginning of the twelfth century began to build a cathedral.
Although the Pope consecrated the basilica back in 1118, the construction lasted three centuries, which is why the building, conceived in the Romanesque style, received other features. The facade of the church is an example of French Gothic. It has three entrances, faced with two-color marble, which symbolized the nobility and emphasized the nobility.
Upstairs are two belfries:
- The right one, sixty meters high, was completed in 1522 and designed in the Renaissance style. Here are seven bells;
- The left bell tower was never completed: a loggia appeared in its place.
Inside the cathedral are columns, paintings, murals, statues of famous masters. The chapel of St. John the Baptist (Giovanni Battista), decorated with statues of masters of the XV-XVI centuries, is equipped in the church. The relics of the saint are kept here.
A bomb is seen in the right nave, breaking through the roof of the temple during the Second World War. The fact that the shell did not explode is evidence of God's Power.
In the basement of the temple is stored a treasury-museum, which was founded in the middle of the last century. Here you can see various shrines. Among them is a dish on which Salome, in gratitude for the dance, brought the severed head of John the Baptist. They also store a cup from which, according to legend, Jesus drank at the Last Supper (they brought the relic here in the tenth century).
Basilica of Santissima Annunziata del Vastato
Basilica della Santissima Annunziata del Vastato is located on Piazza della Nunziata. Previously, there was a monastery with a small church, which was built by the umillians in 1228. Three centuries later, the monastery complex was transferred to the Franciscans, who in its place built a new church.
The construction of the temple began in 1520. The building was conceived in the Gothic style, which distinguished it from other buildings of the Renaissance. But after the walls were erected, construction was stopped: the temple passed to the Franciscans from another order. At this time, the Council of Trident adopted provisions on church architecture, and it turned out that the built basilica did not correspond to them. Therefore, the monks were obliged to rebuild it in the Baroque style.
The order did not have such money, so the brothers turned for help to the Lomellini family, the richest genus of Genoa. Lomellini gave the money on the condition that their family chapel will be located here.
At the end of construction, the basilica was completely transformed: the project turned out to be so gorgeous that it is considered one of the most significant creations of Baroque. The design of the temple worked brothers Carlone (Carlone), Andrea Ansaldo (Andrea Ansaldo), Domenico Casella (Domenico Casella).
Although the basilica was severely damaged during the Second World War, the Genoese quickly restored the church - and now it looks no less magnificent than in previous years.
Church of the Ascension of Our Lady
Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta - the only temple in Genoa, designed in the form of a cross inscribed in a square. The basilica can be found on Carignano Hill on Via Alghero. Along the edges of the temple are two belfries, on which five bells are installed. The facade is decorated with sculptures of the seventeenth century: above the portal depicts the Assumption of the Virgin, on the sides - Peter and Paul.
The construction of the Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady began in 1552, and was completed half a century later. After a hundred years, they allowed to conduct bishop service here, because of which a number of changes had to be made to the basilica. The work dragged on for two centuries: from the inside, the temple was decorated with stucco, gilding, paintings, sculptors by eminent masters.
Since the temple was erected in the city center, a lot of religious action takes place here. The sacristy often holds important memorial events. Thus, in the seventies and nineties of the last century, the victims of terrorism were mourned, and Fabrizio de André, the famous Italian singer, was buried.
Church of Santa Maria di Castello
Chiesa di Santa Maria di Castello can be found on Via di Santa Maria di Castello 15. A church was built on a hill instead of the ruined Roman fortress in 900 AD In the twelfth century, the basilica was rebuilt. When three centuries later it began to belong to the Dominicans, a monastery appeared near the temple.
And if outside the church of Santa Maria di Castello looks modest, beauty is hidden inside. There are stunning sculptures, murals, murals, relief images, paintings by great masters. Among them - Francesco Maria Schiaffino (Francesco Maria Schiaffino), Francesco Boccaccino (Francesco Boccaccino), Lorenzo Fasolo (Lorenzo Fasolo).
You can also see majolica (the so-called variety of painted ceramics, which is made from baked clay). On the upper tier there is a marble ark, attributed to Domenico Gagini.
The most important relic of the church of Santa Maria di Castello is considered a sculpture of Christ, the so-called Cristo Moro, who was brought here from Palestine. It is made of dark wood, the cross is replaced by the Tree of Life. Recently, the statue was restored and it acquired its original appearance. In former times, it was hidden under a large number of layers: at first the statue was painted, then silver plated, made other changes. A copy of what was can be seen in the next chapel.
Museums
A special tourist map has been developed for tourists, which can significantly save on visiting the museums of Genoa. It is called Card Musei di Genova, valid for twenty-four or forty-eight hours. The card gives you the opportunity to get to many museums in the city for free or with benefits from ten to forty percent.
Exactly what sights can be visited are indicated in the brochure that is attached to the map. At the same time, you should know that each exhibition center map allows you to visit only once. The time and date of activation is not taken into account from the moment of purchase, but from the time of visiting the museum.
Thanks to the map, it will be cheaper to buy tickets to the theater, a bus tour of the city, rest in a cafe. EIf a tourist buys a combined card, she will provide him with free travel in public transport. The difference is small: the cost of a simple card for one day is twelve euros, combined - one and a half euros more. The price of Card Musei di Genova is sixteen euros, combined - twenty.
- Official site: www.visitgenoa.it/it/card
Royal Palace Museum
The Royal Palace Museum is located on Via Balbi 10. This house conveys the spirit of the family living there so well that it seems to be still inhabited.
The Royal Palace was built in the seventeenth century for the Balbi family. He then passed into the possession of the influential Durazzo family, nine of whom were Doges of the Genoese Republic. In 1824, the palace became the residence of the kings of Savoy. Thanks to this, the house became more respectable: the interior was changed, expensive furniture appeared. A hundred years later, the King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel III (Vittorio Emanuele III) handed over the Royal Palace to the state.
The Royal Palace in Genoa was badly damaged by the bombing during World War II. But Italians quickly restored it, and therefore it is open to all comers.
A visitor to the museum can go to the Throne, Ballroom, Hall of Mirrors. The rooms where the kings lived, various sculptures, elegant chandeliers, chic furniture of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries - all this gives an indescribable appearance to the palace.
In one of the galleries posted paintings by famous artists. Among them - the creations of the Genoese masters Luke Giordano (Luca Giordano), Anthony van Dyck (Dutch. Antoon van Dyck), Ferdinand Voet (Ferdinand Voet).
Exotic flowers and plants grow in the hanging garden of the Royal Palace, pebble paths are laid on which animals are laid out from pebbles. The royal terrace offers magnificent views of Genoa and the bay.
National Gallery in Spinola Palace
Galleria Nazionale di Palazzo Spinola is located on Piazza di Pellicceria 1. It is equipped in the palace, which at the end of the XVI century. built by the Grimaldi family. The palace was owned by various aristocratic families until the Spinol brothers donated a house to the city so that a museum could be opened in it.
This was done in 1958, equipping the National Gallery: works of art of the Renaissance look great with the architecture of the palace. That is why the attraction is considered one of the most beautiful museums in Genoa, since the halls are arranged in the style of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, furniture and other interior items are preserved. Among others, the Mirror Gallery attracts attention.
Visitors can see paintings by Rubens (Rubens), Van Dyck (Antoon van Dyck), il Grechetto (Il Grechetto) and other great masters. Interesting collections of ceramics and majolica. There is a fashion hall in the palace: old velvet, velveteen, printed fabrics are presented here. Lace patterns, suits, dresses attract attention.
Museum of World Culture
The Museum of World Culture (Museo delle Culturo del Mondo) is housed in the Castello d'Albertis castle on Corso Dogali. It was built by Captain Enrico Alberto d'Albertis (Enrico Alberto d'Albertis) at the end of the nineteenth century on the site of the destroyed city walls. Therefore, here you can see the remains of the bastion and other structures of those times. And since the palace stands on a hill, visitors enjoy a magnificent view of the city center.
After the captain’s death, the castle was transferred to the city together with ethnographic, marine, archaeological material, which he collected during his travels.
There are many books, photographs, musical instruments, boats, costumes. Interesting crafts from ostrich eggs that d'Albertis brought from Australia, as well as jewelry, jewelry, toys, furniture of the ancient Aztecs and Mayans. The house also houses a museum of ethnic music.
Archaeological Museum of Liguria
The Archaeological Museum of Liguria (Museo di Archeologia Ligure) is housed in the Villa Durazzo Pallavicini at Via Pallavicini. The villa was built in the mid-nineteenth century by architect Michele Canzio, who worked on the scenery at the Carlo Felice Theater.
There are exhibits from prehistoric times to the period of the Roman Empire, which were found in the lands of Liguria. The Egyptian collection and the Roman collection of marble products are also interesting.
The villa is surrounded by a park. This is the botanical garden of the Marquise of Durazzo, where orchids, camellias, palm trees, bananas, and fern grow. There is a plot intended for aquatic plants. An interesting greenhouse, the shape of which resembles a train. Many carnivorous plants grow here.
Museum of Oriental Art
The Museum of Oriental Art (Museo d'Arte Orientale Edoardo Chiossone) is located on Piazzale Mazzini, 4. Fifteen thousand exhibits collected by Edoardo Chiossone are stored here. He lived and died in Japan, bequeathed to send the exhibits he collected to his homeland.
At first, the collection was located at the Ligustica di Belle Arti Academy: the exhibition opened in 1905.
Forty years later, the authorities decided to build a special building for the eastern exhibits. So in 1971 appeared Villa di Negro (Villetta Di Negro) - a building built in avant-garde style in the middle of an existing park. On the ground floor, the buildings made a hall of a rectangular shape, and galleries connected by flights of stairs stretched along the walls. There is a terrace on the roof.
Since then, the collection has repeatedly replenished, and therefore is one of the largest collections in Europe. Here you can see Japanese Buddhist sculptures, bronze bells, mirrors, artifacts created even before our era. Interesting weapons, armor, sculptures made of metal.
Municipal Museum of Natural History Giokomo Doria
Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giocomo Doria is located on via Brigata Liguria. The museum was founded in 1867 thanks to the representative of one of the most revered dynasties in Genoa, Giacomo Doria. During numerous expeditions, he collected a huge number of insects and other representatives of the animal world and presented them to the city. At the same time, Genoa received a paleontological and geological collection as a gift.
As a result, the city decided to establish a museum, which currently has four million exhibits collected from all over the world. The first director was Giacomo Doria.
Here you can see various fossils, stuffed mammals, birds, snakes. The huge skeleton of a mammoth, the remains of other animals that have not survived to this day are amazing. The collection of insects is huge, there are also specimens of interesting plants.
Houses and palaces
Each house and palace of the historical part of Genoa can tell its amazing story. In some, people still live, in others - museums are equipped. The house where Christopher Columbus once lived, the princely villa, as well as the Rolly palaces stands out against their background.
Columbus House
Every tourist who visits Genoa is obliged to see the House of Columbus (Casa di Colombo), which is located on Piazza Dante 4. Although it is not known exactly where the great navigator was born, the Genoese believe: Christopher Columbus lived here until 1470 (born in 1451).
The house itself is not particularly impressive and looks a little gloomy. The attraction is a two-story building, entwined with ivy. Inside let only by special arrangement or on the twelfth of October, the day of the celebration of World Columbus Day.
In former times, the House of Columbus was three-story. There were three rooms on each tier. On the ground floor, Christopher’s father arranged a workshop: he led a weaving workshop. The remaining floors were at the disposal of the family.
In the seventeenth century, the building was almost completely destroyed when the French fired on the city, but the Genoese restored the house. Inside the building, fragments of walls were preserved that survived from the start of construction, and in the basement, archaeologists found the foundation of the building dated to the sixth century.
Princely villa
The Palace of Andrea Doria (Palazzo di Andrea Doria), also known as the Princely Villa (Villa del Principe), can be found at piazza del Principe, 4. Previously, it was located outside the city walls, and only eventually found itself in the city.
The house was built by Andrea Doria, who was popular among the Genoese, and in 1528 was chosen as a doge. Also, for his merits, he received the title of prince, because of which the house was nicknamed princely. The palace looked gorgeous, it was decorated with sculptures, frescoes, tapestries. The house was so luxurious that even Emperor Charles V stayed here. Now there is a museum.
Built a house at the foot of a hill near the sea. You can get to the villa through a portal decorated with the coat of arms of the genus Doria. Along its edges are figures symbolizing Abundance and Peace.
The main staircase is decorated with geometric patterns, grotesque painting. On the walls of the rooms are paintings, stucco moldings, paintings. Everywhere antique furniture and interior elements. The Golden Gallery was used for audiences. In it you can see gilded wooden sculptures, family portraits.
There is an Italian-style park in front of the building. You can get into it from the house through the arched gallery. In the middle of the park is a fountain with a sculpture of Neptune, which appeared here at the end of the sixteenth century. Previously, through the garden you could go down to the sea, where there was a private marina of Andrea Doria. Now there is a freeway between the house and the sea, and the marine station is located nearby.
Palaces Rolly
Palaces Rolli (Palazzi dei Rolli) - a quarter of palaces, which is the first project in the history of Europe, which was built according to a previously approved plan. The houses are located on the street. Garibaldi (via Garibaldi) and its surroundings. Here, on a small site, aristocrats built more than 40 palaces. Since there was not enough space, the owners did not erect houses in width, but in height. In 1576, the Senate of the republic ordered the owners of the palaces to receive foreign delegations in the palaces.
In 2006, the attraction was included in the UNESCO list.
The most famous houses of Garibaldi Street are the palaces where the art gallery is equipped:
- Palazzo Rosso (Palazzo Rosso) or the Red Palace, located on via Garibaldi, 18. In addition to paintings, painted canvases attract attention. On the roof of the building - a platform with a view of the city;
- Palazzo Bianco (Palazzo Rosso) or the White Palacelocated at number eleven. Near the palace there is a hanging garden with a pond;
- Palazzo Doria-Tursilocated at number nine. Here, not only paintings, but also Paganini's personal belongings, including the famous Canon violin, ancient coins and ceramics.
The Rolly Palaces include the Royal Palace. It is located, however, on a nearby street, on Via Balbi, 10 and is also a museum.
University of Genoa
The University of Genoa (Università degli Studi di Genova) was founded in 1481. Its main building is located in the palace on via Balbi, 5. About forty thousand students study here, and two thousand researchers work.
The building was built in 1640. Since then, its architecture and interior decor have changed little. The architecture of the building and its interior design are a combination of the attributes of modernity and Baroque: computers, cabinets, shelves are perfectly combined with antique statues, frescoes, stucco moldings.
The monumental cemetery of Staglieno
The monumental cemetery of Staglieno (Cimitero monumentale di Staglieno) resembles an open-air sculpture museum. The figures are like living here: every gesture, look is filled with feeling, and you do not just look at them, but understand everything that they want to say.
The cemetery of Staglieno is located on a hill on the outskirts of Genoa. Exact address: Piazzale Resasco. The construction of the necropolis took place in the forties and fifties of the nineteenth century. The design of the cemetery, designed for 60 thousand graves, was developed by Carlo Barabino. True, the students completed the project: the life of the architect was carried out by the plague that erupted in the city.
Immediately before entering the cemetery is a huge statue of Venus. Behind her is a copy of the Pantheon with a marble staircase of seventy-seven steps. From the Pantheon, covered galleries lead in different directions, where the crypts of the rich and famous are arranged. And not only on the sides: the floor of the galleries is also laid out with tombstone plates. Each grave here is a unique sculptural composition. There are angels, and grieving women, and entire families gathered at the bedside of the departed. Since the opening day, the cemetery has expanded, and over 2 million burials are located on an area of 33 hectares.
City fortifications
The earliest wall of medieval Genoa, which has survived to the present day - mura del Barbarossa, appeared in the middle of the twelfth century (there were a total of seven lines of fortifications). It provided three gates through which you could get into the city. Two of them have survived to this day:
- Porta soprana - the main gate, which is three hundred meters south of Piazza Dante's Ferrari Square (Columbus’s house is five hundred meters away). The gates are open to visitors and the tourist can climb the observation deck of the tower via a spiral staircase;
- Porta dei vacca - Located from Ferrari Square at a distance of nine hundred meters in a north-westerly direction.
In the fourteenth century, the walls expanded southeast to the Carignano hill westward. The length of the fortifications was 4.5 km, which made it possible to protect an area of 155 hectares from the enemy. These walls quickly became obsolete: weapons appeared that could pierce them.
Therefore, two centuries later they were updated and strengthened. Porta Siberia gates appeared on via del Molo, which are an example of Renaissance military architecture. They are located eight hundred meters from Ferrari Square to the west. Another gate of those times appeared five hundred meters southeast of the Piazza De Ferrari. They are called the gates of Aroc (Porta degli Archi).
The last line of fortifications is known as the New Wall (Mura Nuove). Walls were erected in the twenties and thirties of the seventeenth century to protect against the troops of the Duke of Savoy and the French king. The length of the ring of fortifications was twenty kilometers, of which seven were along the coastline. This made it possible to protect a plot of nine hundred hectares. A hundred years after the start of the construction of Mura Nuove, the Genoese built 16 forts and 95 bastions, many of which are visible to travelers who are in Genoa from the sea.
Parks
Genoa has a lot of parks and botanical gardens. Therefore, the Genoese and guests of the city, wandering along the ancient streets, may well relax in nature. A feature of Genoa parks is that many of them are located in villas, where museums are equipped. The park, which is located directly near the old city walls, is also interesting. The city and municipal parks are not without.
Park sten
At the end of the twentieth century, along the line of the fortification walls of Mura Nuove, the Genoese opened the Parco delle Mura Natural Park, which covers an area of 617 hectares. Nine hundred plant species grow here, birds and animals live, many of which are endemic, and therefore protected by law. Thanks to this, the Genoese call the park a meeting place for the city and nature.
You can walk around the park, or cross the cable car.The route lies high above sea level and the traveler has a magnificent view of the mountains, forests, pastures, towers, city walls.
Willeta Di Negro Park
Park Villetta di Negro (Villetta di Negro) surrounds the museum Museum of Oriental Art Edoardo Chiossone. In front of his entrance is a statue dedicated to Giuseppe Manzini (Giuseppe Mazzini).
The park is located on a hill, so there are many paths upstairs. Tourists who come here from the noisy streets of the city seem to be in a different world: there are grottoes with waterfalls, clean air, aviaries with exotic birds. The hill overlooks Genoa and the lush vegetation of the park (palm trees, cedar, redwoods, pines).
The park appeared thanks to the Marquis Gian Carlo Di Negro, who at the beginning of the nineteenth century built a villa on a hill with a view of Piazza Corvetto. Near the villa was a botanical park, where gazebos, artificial ponds, a waterfall were installed. When the Marquis died, the city acquired a villa and a park from his heirs in order to build several museums in it.
Park del Acuasola
The city park of Del Acuasola (Spianata dell'acquasola) is located on a hill. Exact address: 4 Viale Novembre. One part of Del Acuasola Park borders the fourteenth-century ramparts.
The construction of Spianata dell'acquasola began in the twenties of the nineteenth century. It was then that the gates of La porta dell'Olivella were included in it.
The park is a favorite vacation spot of the Genoese: football fields, tennis courts are equipped here, you can go rollerblading, tracks for athletics are provided. It is possible to relax near artificial lakes, where swans and ducks swim, or take a walk along the alleys that are laid along the trees.
How to get there
You can get to Genoa by train: there are two city railway stations - Genova Principe and Genova Brignole. Eurostar and Intercity trains come from various parts of Italy and Europe.
- Recommended: how to buy a ticket for Trenitalia trains in Italy yourself.
It is also interesting to travel by train because on the square near Genova Principe, which is called Piazza Acquaverde, travelers meet a monument to Christopher Columbus. An Indian girl sits at his feet, and on a pedestal is a high relief, which depicts a council in Salamanca, on which Columbus convinces those present about the expediency of his voyage.
You can fly to the city by plane: six kilometers from the center is the international airport named after Christopher Columbus (Aeroporto di Genova-Cristoforo Colombo). It is interesting because it is located on an artificial peninsula. After landing, you can get to the center by minibus, taxi or book a car in advance.
A magnificent view of Genoa will open to the traveler if he arrives by sea: ships from all major ports of the Mediterranean Sea come here. From here you can also, if you wish, go on a cruise, take a ferry to neighboring cities or book a boat excursion along the coast.
