A city on a slope
Genoa sits on a narrow strip between the mountains and the sea, so almost everything here goes uphill. Our photos look down from the hills toward the port.
Between the water and the slopes is the old town, a maze of narrow lanes the Genoese call caruggi.
The Old Port
The waterfront you see today, the Porto Antico, was redesigned by Genoa's own Renzo Piano for Expo 1992, held for the 500th anniversary of Columbus's first voyage to the Americas.
The project opened the old harbor back up to the city, and it is home to the city aquarium, which opened the same year.
Palaces on a guest list
In the 16th and 17th centuries, when the Republic of Genoa was at the height of its maritime and financial power, its noble families laid out new streets lined with grand palaces.
The finest were entered on official lists, the Rolli, and drawn by lot to host important guests on state visits. In 2006 UNESCO listed 42 of these palaces, along with the Strade Nuove they line, including today's Via Garibaldi and Via Balbi, as a World Heritage Site.
