The city's Medieval center is one of the largest in Europe. The vicoli or caruggi, Genoa's warren of ancient alleys and causeways, hide magnificent architectural treasures, museums, churches, and a trove of shops, craftsmen's studios, and restaurants, which are often so hard for visitors to find.

The marvelous Aquarium has become a great success, along with the Children's Library and Museum, and the new Museum of the Sea, inaugurated in 2004.

Genoa’s Aquarium represents a major tourist attraction in the region, not only for its natural wonders but for the very structure itself, designed by American architect Peter Chermayeff, creator of the Boston and Baltimore aquariums. Plan on devoting at least two hours to the Aquarium. A new exhibit has been added recently, featuring crocodiles. If possible, schedule a visit around feeding time. Children are fascinated. But not to worry!! When the crocs grow dangerously large, they’re returned to their natural environment.

Tightly squeezed between the mountains and the sea, Genoa is a compact city, and its concentrated city center provides an oasis for pedestrians and a multitude of intriguing walking tours.

Leaving the Porto Antico, visitors are greeted by the Palazzo San Giorgio (XV C.) which once housed the famous Bank of St. George and now serves as the Genoa Port Authority headquarters.

The present building incorporates a section of the original Medieval structure, built in 1260 by People’s Capitain Guglielmo Boccanegra and designed by the famous Cistercian monk, Friar Oliverio. Marco Polo dictated the account of his journey to China known as Il Milione in this very place, where he was imprisoned by the Genoese during the Battle of Curzola in 1298.

 

Exiting the Duomo, move on toward Piazza Matteotti, site of the Palazzo Ducale, for centuries the seat of the Government of the Republic of Genoa. Boasting Medieval origins and a monumental façade (1778), the Doge’s palace was restored in 1992 and has become an important multi-use cultural center. It now contains libraries and conference facilities and hosts important exhibits; it was also the site of the G8 Summit in July 2001.

On the same Piazza, the Jesuit Chiesa del Gesù church built by Tibaldi in 1597 displays two paintings by Rubens: The Circumcision of Jesus and St. Ignatius Curing the Sick.

To continue the tour of historic Genoa, move on to the Piazza De Ferrari and take a walk along Via Dante to the Columbus House beside the Medieval Porta Soprana city gates. Located in Vico Dritto di Ponticello, the house is the site of a residence and shop established in 1455 by Domenico Colombo, father of Christopher Columbus. Here the elder Columbus plied his trade as a weaver of woolen cloth. It is certain that Columbus lived there as a young boy.

Restoration of the Columbus House was completed in 2001 under the auspices of a project inspired and supported by the Clinton Administration’s Millenium project, "Save America’s Treasures" initiative.

From the Columbus House, head back toward the Piazza De Ferrari, passing the Carlo Felice Opera House on your right. Continue on, veering to the left and following the Via XXV Aprile to Piazza Fontane Marose. The piazza opens into Via Garibaldi, once known as Strada Nuova or Via Aurea.

This elegant street lined with splendid palaces built as private homes was conceptualized in the 1550s by Gian Galeazzo Alessi. The Palazzi constituted the residential area of Genoa’s upper-class families who were bent on giving the city a decidedly sophisticated and prestigious avenue to rival its counterparts elsewhere in Europe, while at the same time affirming their oligarchic presence over local society.

When the painter Peter Paul Rubens came to Genoa as a young man in 1606, he was so impressed by the local architecture that in 1622 he published a collection of plans and elevations entitled I Palazzi di Genova (The Palaces of Genoa).

Among the best-known of these palaces is the Palazzo Doria-Tursi, Genoa’s City Hall, built by the Grimaldi Family and once the home of Giovanni Andrea Doria, nephew of Admiral of the Empire Andrea Doria. Others include the Palazzo Pallavicino Cambiaso (now home of the Banca Popolare di Brescia) designed by Alessi, the Palazzo Bianco built in 1565 by the Grimaldi Family, and the Palazzo Rosso, built in 1671 by Gio Francesco and Ridolfo Brignole Sale, which are now among the most visited museums in Genoa.

Both Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Rosso were inherited by Maria Brignole Sale, Duchessa di Galliera, who donated them to the City of Genoa. The generous cultural patroness also donated much of the homes’ priceless contents, including collections of Genovese paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries by artists such as Cambiaso, Strozzi, Assereto, Castiglione, Castello, De Ferrari, Piola, and Magnasco; Italian paintings by Veronese and Caravaggio, among others; and Flemish works by the likes of Memling, Rubens, and Van Dyck. Other significant works include a selection of Dutch, French, and Spanish paintings.

From Via Garibaldi, walk to nearby Piazza Portello where the Ascensore Portello Castelletto (an Art Nouveau period elevator) carries the weary effortlessly to the top of the Belvedere Montaldo and its magnificent panoramic view of the city.

If you’d like to see more of the city, plan visits to other important churches and museums around the city. For further information, visit the official Musei di Genova site.

Additionally, The New York Times travel section recently weighed in with some of their own recommendations for a day in Genoa.