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Palazzo Ducale: since 1339 it was the seat of the first Genoese doge of Genoa, Simon Boccanegra. Some remains of the Middle Ages part are still visible. The tower called "Torre del popolo" was raised in 1539 and now it dominates the ancient part of the town. Nowadays this palace is one of the most important museums of Genoa.
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Duomo di S. Lorenzo: the façade of the cathedral has white and black stripes, showing the presence of different architectural styles (Romanic, Gothic, French and Baroque). The richest chapel is the one dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, the patron of the city. It contains a sarcophagus made in XIII century that once preserved the remains of the Saint. From the Sacristy visitors can reach a museum called "Tesoro di S. Lorenzo", a very rich museum with precious objects, such as the Roman dish made of green stone (called "sacred basin"), that according to a legend was used during Last Supper; a chalcedony blue tray on which the head of Saint John the Baptist was given to Salome and the Cross called degli Zaccaria, a Byzantine reliquary of XII century.
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Museo Navale: this museum dedicated to maritime collections is in the Renaissance villa of Giovanni Andrea Doria. It contains maritime collections from XI to XVI century. In this museum there are remains of submarine archaeology (bombards and culverins); documents, arms, paintings, drawings, navigation tools, models of ancient ships and boats; different kinds of ships (the three caravels used by Columbus and the famous cutter Venus, a very fast sailing ship built in XIX century).
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Galata Museo del Mare: this museum is the biggest maritime museum in the Mediterranean area (it covers a surface of 10.000 m2, there are 17 rooms on four floors). The building is the most ancient in Genoa. In 1600s Genoan galleys were built here. Today it is the best place to understand the close relationship between humankind and sea. This museum combines tradition and new technologies. There are spectacular reproductions of ancient shipyards, harbors, multimedia areas, astonishing audio and visual effects, ancient arms and paintings that make this museum interesting and exciting.
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Acquario: visiting this aquarium is making a wonderful journey in the deep huge world of sea. Visitors can live a unique experience discovering a beautiful universe, full of life and of strange creatures. Seals, dolphins, penguins, sharks, fish of many different colors and shapes are here. This aquarium aims to awaken people about the importance of a correct sea life preservation.
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Casa di Cristoforo Colombo: the house of Christopher Columbus is now covered with ivy, it is in the Eastern part of Porta Soprana, called also of S. Andrea, one of the most ancient of the city (1155), part of the walls built by the inhabitants to defend the town from the troops by Frederick Redbeard.
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Porto: the harbor is the heart of Genoa. There are many ships that carry containers. Around the harbor streets are very crowded and there are a lot of buildings, erected in 1960s. One of the Middle Ages remains is the "faro della Lanterna", a lighthouse 127 m tall and built in 1544. In the past fires were lit on the lighthouse to help ships to find their way. It is one of the most ancient still working lighthouses.
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Porto Antico: the ancient part of the harbor now is inhabited; it is a tourist and cultural centre. It was completely restructured in 1992, and the project was by the worldwide famous architect Renzo Piano, to celebrate the fifth centenary of the discovery of America.
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Palazzo S. Giorgio: this palace is a typical example of Middle Ages architecture. It was the original seat of Banco di San Giorgio, one of the first credit institutes in Italy. It was built in 1260 and was ordered by Captain Guglielmo Boccanegra. Marco Polo was imprisoned there and during the period of imprisonment he dictated to Rustichello da Pisa the stories of his travels, later published in a book, Il milione. This palace has two different "faces": one of Middle Ages, the other of Renaissance. It is only a building but with two different faces.
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Castello d’Albertis: this castle, on Castelletto hill, dominates Genoa and the Ligurian gulf. It contains the Museo delle Culture del Mondo (a museum dedicated to the different cultures of the world) and the Museo delle Musiche dei Popoli (a museum dedicated to music).
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Cimitero di Staglieno: this cemetery is very big. It was founded in 1884, thanks to its tombs and monuments it is like a city with many small cathedrals, Egyptian temples and art nouveau. It is considered a real open-air museum. Giuseppe Mazzini, who died near Pisa in 1872, is buried here.
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Piazza De Ferrari: this square contains a wonderful fountain (with a big copper basin) and it is considered the ‘agorà’ of the city.
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Boccadasse: it is an ancient sea village within a narrow creek. On the beach there are the gozzi, the typical colored Ligurian fishing boats. Along the beach there are the nice colored fishermen’s houses; on the left of the beach there is Capo Santa Chiara, with a small castle on the top. Tourists do love this village where there is a place called Lido d’Albaro, very famous for its ice-creams.
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Parco di Nervi: this important park was created through the union of different parks belonging in the past to private villas, such as Villa Luxoro, Grimaldi Fassio and Saluzzo. Inside this park there is an important rose garden. Visitors often meet nice squirrels that like to receive nuts and hazelnuts from them. The park is reached though the wonderful boulevard, called Passeggiata Anita Garibaldi.
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Centro Storico: the ancient part of the town is the biggest of Europe. There are Romanic churches, classic and neoclassic palaces, Middle East buildings.
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Rolli: during ancient Republic, "rolli" were the palaces and the houses belonging to the noble families that aimed to give hospitality to the most important personalities visiting the city; there was a draw to decide which family could receive this honor. Then these houses gave hospitality to illustrious travelers. Today it is a heritage of Unesco.
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Matitone: it is an original skyscraper having the shape of a lapis (pencil); today there are some offices of the municipal administration and many firms.
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Via Garibaldi: this street was once called Strada Maggiore and then Nuova. It is a real jewel of XVI century architecture. There the most elegant and the richest palaces of Genoa (Tursi, seat of the municipality, Bianco, Rosso, Podestà, etc.). A planimetry of the street, with a perspective representation of the palaces, was made by Rubens.
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Chiesa S. Maria di Castello: this church contains the flags won to the Ottoman fleet in the Battle of Lepanto (1571).
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Museo dell’Antartide: this museum contains the documents about the researches made in the Terra Nova bay by the first Italian Antarctic station. There are videos, panels with pictures and images, examples of land and sea fauna, etc.
