Genoa

A last post about our Italian holidays… after all this blog should rather be about Paris.

Yes, we also went to Genoa.

One reason was to allow the grand-kids (and ourselves) to visit one of Europe’s largest aquariums, situated in the old port. It was created in 1992, as part of the celebration of the 500 years since the Genoa-born Christopher Columbus (re)discovered the new world. The architect was Renzo Piano - also known for the Pompidou Centre and the future Palace of Justice in Paris.

We also took the time to walk around the older part of the town, including along the Via Garibaldi and the number of old palaces…

… the Piazza de Ferrari with the Opera and, nearby, the Palace of the Doges… and also some more narrow streets. Many buildings are nicely decorated.  

Close to the port you find the 13^th century Palazzo San Giorgio (see top picture), built to be the civil-political centre of the city, abandoned, for a while a prison with Marco Polo as its most famous resident – where he dictated his memoirs – and then becoming the home of the Bank of Saint George, founded in 1407, the world’s oldest chartered bank (with the Grimadi family as part owners).  

The 12^th century Genoa Cathedral (Cattedrale di San Lorenzo) – with a façade from the 14^th century – is richly decorated.

In the cathedral there is a fresco from 1626, illustrating the Last Supper. I may be wrong, but this reminded me of a contemporary painting I once saw in Lima, see post here, where Maria Magdalena is represented. This may be one of the apostles, but…