Genoa
A city of art and a metropolis overlooking the sea, Genoa “la Superba” has grown up around its port, which has always been a place of flourishing trade and commerce.
Its ancient heart, Europe’s largest medieval old town, is a dense network of alleyways. Here the traveller can “get lost” in search of historic shops, trattorias and characteristic shops. It is easy to glimpse the town’s noble past made up of 16th-century residences, votive shrines and valuable churches overlooking small squares.
Don’t miss a visit to the Palazzi dei Rolli, residences that represent Genoa between the 16th and 17th centuries, recognised by Unesco as a World Heritage Site. Genoa’s historic centre is a maze of alleyways (caruggi) that open unexpectedly into small squares, often linked, like the churches that overlook them, to important noble families. The spirit of Genoa lies in the alleys. Different smells, tastes, languages and cultures have always mixed together. In these narrow spaces, squeezed between the hills and the sea, the pride of the rich Genoese merchants and nobles built splendid residences. For centuries these have housed works of art, which can still be seen in some of the palaces that are now museums open to the public.
In this place where time seems to stand still. Noble palaces and beautiful churches are interspersed with shops that have been in operation for over 100 years, where specialities are still prepared according to old recipes and handicrafts are made according to centuries-old traditions.
