Genoa was one of the great maritime republics of the Mediterranean, and its bankers once lent money to the kings of Spain. The result is a city of contrasts: a dense medieval centre of narrow alleys, the caruggi, right next to streets of Renaissance palaces, all squeezed between the mountains and the sea. Here are the facts and stories that make the city special.
10 fun facts about Genoa
- A lighthouse with a famous keeper: the Lanterna, symbol of the city, took its present shape in 1543 and stands 76 metres tall. In 1449 one of its keepers was Antonio Colombo, uncle of Christopher Columbus.
- Columbus's home town: most historians agree that Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa in 1451. The house near Porta Soprana shown as his family home is an 18th-century reconstruction.
- Jeans have Genoese roots: the word jeans is generally traced to Gênes, the French name for Genoa, after a sturdy cotton cloth linked to the city.
- Paganini's violin: Niccolò Paganini was born in Genoa in 1782 and left his favourite violin, Il Cannone, to the city. It is kept at Palazzo Tursi on Via Garibaldi.
- The first cathedral: the Basilica of San Siro was Genoa's original cathedral, before the title passed to San Lorenzo inside the walls. Its frescoed interior comes from a rebuilding begun in the late 16th century.
- An early public bank: the Casa di San Giorgio, founded in 1407, was one of Europe's earliest public banks. Tradition says Marco Polo was held prisoner in the harbour palace that later became its seat, and told his travels there.
- Built for Columbus's anniversary: Genoese architect Renzo Piano redesigned the old harbour for the 1992 Expo, held 500 years after Columbus's first voyage, and the Aquarium of Genoa opened that year.
- Cradle of Italian unity: Giuseppe Mazzini was born in Genoa in 1805, and in 1860 Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand set sail from Quarto, on the city's eastern edge.
- Palaces on a UNESCO list: 42 of the Palazzi dei Rolli have been part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2006.
- Protected basil: the small-leaved Basilico Genovese, grown around the city and along the Ligurian coast, has protected DOP status, and it is the heart of real pesto.
The Rolli: how Genoa hosted kings
The Republic of Genoa had no royal palace in which to receive popes, kings and ambassadors. So in 1576 the Senate drew up lists, the rolli, of the city's finest private palaces, ranked by grandeur. When a state guest arrived, a palace of the right rank was drawn by lot, and its owner had to host the visitor. Many of these palaces line Strada Nuova, today's Via Garibaldi, laid out from the 1550s as a street of noble residences. The painter Peter Paul Rubens admired them so much that he published a book of their designs in Antwerp in 1622.
Palazzo della Meridiana, explained
Palazzo Grimaldi della Meridiana was built in 1536–1544 for Gerolamo Grimaldi Oliva, a banker who made his fortune in Spain. It takes its name from the large sundial painted on its south facade in the late 18th century, when the new Strada Nuovissima, today's Via Cairoli, forced a rebuilding of that side. Nearby, Piazza Fontane Marose marks the start of Via Garibaldi and its run of Rolli palaces.
What to eat in Genoa
- Pesto alla genovese: basil, pine nuts, garlic, cheese and olive oil, traditionally pounded in a marble mortar and served with trofie or trenette.
- Focaccia genovese: thin, golden and dimpled with olive oil and salt, a classic breakfast, sometimes even dipped in a cappuccino.
- Farinata: a thin chickpea-flour pancake baked in a wood-fired oven and eaten hot.
- Pansoti con salsa di noci: herb-filled pasta parcels with a creamy walnut sauce.
- Pandolce: a dense sweet bread with raisins, candied fruit and pine nuts, eaten at Christmas.
Good to know before you go
- The Strada Nuova Museums, Palazzo Rosso, Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Tursi, give a look inside the Rolli palaces. More palaces open their doors during the Rolli Days, held a few times a year.
- For a view over the old town and the port, take the public lift up to Spianata Castelletto.
- Boccadasse, a tiny fishing village within the city, is an easy bus ride or seaside walk from the centre.
- Trains run along the coast to Camogli, Santa Margherita Ligure and the Cinque Terre, so day trips are easy without a car.
Explore Genoa with World City Trail
Our Genoa scavenger hunt turns these sights into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around two hours, with about 30 minutes of walking, including the Basilica of San Siro, Palazzo Grimaldi della Meridiana and Piazza Fontane Marose.
At each stop you solve a puzzle and hear a short story, at your own pace. You can start whenever you like.
Play the Genoa scavenger hunt →
Facts checked in October 2026.