Genoa - A Quick Guide

As Liguria, Genoa took a long thin strip of land, at a distance of 30 kilometers from west to east. The historic town which was built in the space between the two Polcevera Bisagno valley to the west and east. It is downtown and a thick, fan-shaped feature, down to the sea from the fort and the wall of the hill.

Genoa is unique: surrounded by walls, and not necessarily all. It was built by people absorption coast, west and east, in the nineteenth century and the twentieth. The Great Genoa in 1926, was formed by the integration of autonomous coastal city: industrial fields such as Sestri Ponente, Voltri Sanpierdarena or resort as Nervi and Pegli. Therefore, Genoa made from many different centers, with its own characteristics: Pegli district, for example, in the West, far from looking like a residential neighborhood, historic villas and castles that can be found in the center of Genoa, and the same can be said about Sanpierdarena industrial area.

History of Genoa obviously inseparable from the sea. After a bloody battle and destruction Meloria Pisan fleet, in 1284, Genoa, known as "extraordinary", the Tyrrhenian Sea and the authorities come against more than once in Venice, dominated the Adriatic Sea, Eastern Mediterranean . In late 1400, before the start of the Golden Age, Genoa large family is very rich thanks to European maritime trade and king gave the capital. The Banco di San Giorgio Genoa, founded in 1407, is regarded as the first bank in the world. But Genoa lack of strong political leadership and look forward to French influence.

Andrea Doria was the one who captured the city of Genoa took the lead in the Renaissance, in the sixteenth century. Commander luck, trying to shake the French and became prince "really" in the city, which is operated by the most powerful families of the oligarchy: Doria, Fieschi, Spineta and Grimaldi, who later founded the branch and founded the Principality of Monaco. Andrea Doria began developing a pompous palace, called the Prince's Palace. Following his example, wealthy family who live in the narrow medieval Genoa, decided to move to more favorable areas and build a new palace, less allergic to their condition. The new zone, near the wall, which is called "Strada Nuova" (New Street): This is consistent with the current Via Garibaldi and Via Balbi. Directed by Galeazzo Alessi, the best architects working hours to build sumptuous Renaissance palaces, walls, stairs and porch. The noble family of Genoa compete reads "rolli", the palace contains the list is identified as the most important foreign visitors. The results are superb Rubens would portray the palace one by one to impart to his people.

Genoa is a complex city. After Andrea Doria golden age, with a century and then decline to the strong growth of new industries, which led to the city as a center of industrial development in Italy in the sixties. Genoa and now need to be changed again, to overcome the old industrial model and to assert itself as a city of technology and services. Each time has left its mark. By The XX Settembre, a skyscraper in Piazza Dante (eg, Piacentini Tower, built in the forties, the tallest building in Italy until 1954), the "sopraelevata" which was built in the sixties to regulate traffic the rest of the city, the subway opened in 1990 (now has eight stations), the North Tower (better known as Matitone, built in 1991 by Skidmore design), Expo and harbor improvement is a sign of the twentieth century.

Genoa is a city complex and has a complex structure, as we have seen. There are many ways to learn and there are many different routes you can take. The route from the magnificent palace of Garibaldi and Via Balbi (UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2006) is one of them. You can choose to start your visit to the main square, Piazza De Ferrari, where the Ducal Palace and Teatro Carlo Felice is located. De Ferrari Square, you can walk along the medieval town (San Lorenzo cathedral and main port) and the famous historical center, full of stalls and small shops where you can find almost anything. Caricamento Piazza, the heart of the old port, was for centuries the gateway city.

You can also choose to approach the city from above, where the majority of the wall (Castellaccio, Sperone, Puin, Fratello Minore, jewelry and other re: Genoa has a reputation as the strongest fortress in Europe in the eighteenth century) defended Genoa last century, allowing great views of the city. Fort tours can start Righi district, one of the most Genoa. You can climb the Righi of Largo Zecca, by hanging the regular bus ticket cost.

Or you can take the road by the sea, to the east of the town of Corso Italia Boccadasse, Boccadasse the room, and a balcony overlooking the sea and Quinto Nervi parks. The western part, Sanpierdarena, Voltri commercial port, is the site of the settlement industry.

Or, you may want to visit the shop in Via XX Settembre and Via Roma: Here, at number 38, is a historic Finollo Stores, one of the most famous manufacturers of shirts and ties in the world. Rome, you can reach Piazza Corvetto either ignored by the equestrian statue of Vittorio Emanuele II, King of Italy, and then went to the visitors around the park Spianata dell'Acquasanta.