Genoa: Touristic information

Genoa
Touristic information about the city, the provinces and localities

Genoa
Genoa: Main sights
Genoa: Flag
Localities in the province

Genoa

Genoa (Genova in Italian - Zena in Genoese) is a city and a seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria. The city has a population of ca. 620,000 and the urban area has a population of ca. 890,000. Genua was a city of the ancient Ligurians. Its name is probably Ligurian, meaning "knee" (from Proto-Indo-European *genu 'knee'), i.e. "angle", from its geographical position, thus akin to the name of Geneva.

Genoa: Main sights

The main features of central Genoa include Piazza de Ferrari, around which are sited the Opera and the Palace of the Doges. There is also a house where Christopher Columbus putatively was born.
Strada Nuova (now Via Garibaldi), in the old city, was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2006. This district was designed in the mid-16th century to accommodate Mannerist palaces of the city's most eminent families, including Palazzo Rosso (now a museum), Palazzo Bianco, Palazzo Grimaldi and Palazzo Reale. The famous art college, Musei di Strada Nuova and the Palazzo del Principe are also located on this street.
Other landmarks of the city include St. Lawrence Cathedral (Cattedrale di San Lorenzo), the Old Harbor (Porto Antico), transformed into a mall by architect Renzo Piano, and the famous cemetery of Staglieno, renowned for its monuments and statues. The Museo d'Arte Orientale has one of the largest collections of Oriental art in Europe.
Other than the old city sights, Genoa also has a large aquarium located in the above-mentioned old harbor. The port of Genoa also contains an ancient lighthouse, called La Lanterna (i.e., "the lantern"). It is the oldest working lighthouse in the world, one of the five tallest ones, and the tallest brick one and it is Genoa's landmark.
One of the most beautiful and pictoresque genoese neighbourhood is Boccadasse on the east of the city.

Genoa: Flag

The flag of Genoa is the St. George's flag, a red cross on a lime white field, exactly the same as the Flag of England. The flag of Genoa was adopted by England and the City of London in 1190 for their ships entering the Mediterranean to benefit from the protection of the powerful Genoese fleet.[citation needed] The maritime Republic of Genoa was rising and going to become, together with its rival Venice, one of the most important powers in the world. The English Monarch paid an annual tribute to the Doge of Genoa for this privilege. Between England and Genoa, two mercantile and sea-faring nations, there has always been a special, long-standing relationship. Genoa is generally regarded as "the most English town in Italy".

Same informations in this page for Genoa are based on the site www.wikipedia.org respecting the GNU Free Documentation License.

Genoa: other to visit

Genova Aquarium
Golfo del Tigullio