Schmap Genoa Neighborhood Guide

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Genoa - Neighborhood Guide
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Genoa Home
Schmap Genoa guide and map

Visitors either love or hate Genoa and few can remain indifferent. Most are wary at first and then begin to appreciate the city after having taken time to discover it. As Dickens wrote in 1843: I would never have thought that I would have become attached to the stones of the Genoan streets, and to think of the city with affection, as the place in which I had spent many hours of peace and happiness. Even today, Genoa provokes conflicting feelings, due to the fact that it is a place of contradictions. It is a Mediterranean port, which has always traded with nearby countries and so it has assimilated some of their habits and words, and it has always been a city of merchants and bankers, known by all as the most English city in Italy.

Downtown

It is easy to be enraptured by the maze of narrow streets in the historic centre. Genoa is a vertical city, where the sky can sometimes feel very close and give one a feeling of dizziness. Refined palaces are side by side with humble houses, which in the historic centre, are all close to the beautiful churches of the city, which have austere, black and white striped, marble facades or opulent, baroque architecture. Genoa has a secret beauty that can be found in its daring architecture, traces of splendid frescoes and imposing, noble palaces. Beginning in Strada Nuova, now known as Via Garibaldi, this is a visible sign of the historic period of the seventeenth century, when the great, Genovese families were at their richest. This is a unique street because of the urban planning that it has inspired and the number of palaces here and their beauty. Visitors can enter the internal gardens and see the frescoes in the great salons. Some of these buldings are now museums and are home to works of art by Genovese artist and the great, Flemish school, such as the Galleria di Palazzo Bianco and the Galleria di Palazzo Rosso). A visit to the nearby National Gallery of Palazzo Spinola is also a chance to learn about the habits and furnishings of Genovese homes of the period.

Via Balbi is also rich with palaces and now houses the university buildings of the School of the Humanities. Via Assarotti, is a sign of the nineteenth century expansion towards the hills, Via XX Settembre is a modern, elegant street full of business and commerce, and finally, Corso Italia, is the promenade leading to the sea and Boccadasse.

The real essence of daily Genoese life, is not found in the rich palaces, but in the maze of alleyways the historic centre, such as Via di Sottoripa. This is the place where Genoese will stop for a chat, amidst the cries of street vendors and smells of coffee, fried food, perfumes and the unmistakeable smell of pesto, which is a typically Ligurian sauce.

Old Port

Thanks to the Acquario di Genova, Genoa's Acquarium, the largest and most modern of its kind in Europe that was built on the anniversary of Columbus in 1992, the city is now a tourist destination. People also come here to visit the Old Port area, which has been renovated for public use, and the new Expo area has become, along with the more classic Lanterna, the new symbol of Genoa. From the top of the old piers, and the lift on the Bigo, a metallic structure built on the Old Pier, there is a splendid view over the whole city. The Republic of Genoa, a naval power, had to defend itself on land with a wall and surrounding forts. This was built in the first half of the seventeenth century and there is a comprehensive view of the city from here, which includes the remains of the towers, a testimony to past greatness and modern day towers. The stupendous view embraces the whole of the Ligurian coast, from Monte di Portofino to Capo Mele, as well as the Ligurian Appenines. Genoa has many satellite cities, which have been incorporated into the same council since 1926. The origins of these places are where Genovese used to have their summer residences and some of the towns, such as Nervi e a Pegli, still have parks that are true islands of greenery. As a final note, R. Wagner summed it up in 1853 when he wrote, I have never seen anything like Genoa! It is something indescribably beautiful, grandiose, distinctive! I really would not know how to begin to tell you the impression that it has made and continues to make on me.

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Albaro

Genoa
Italy

In the midst of the lidos, discos, bars and restaurants, there is a little fishing village, with small, coloured houses, which encircle a small beach and are the main contributors to the quaint, gentle charm many feel when visiting Genoa. Many natives enjoy Sunday walks through the streets while young lovers find romance on the rocky beach. Many find Albaro a perfect spot to feast on pizza or ice cream while enjoying a full view of the sea. In addition to the charming atmosphere, Albara is also home to the Villa Giustiniani Cambiaso, Boccadasse and Corso Italia.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: lo75

Castelletto

Genoa
Italy
Castelletto takes its name from the fortress which was built on Monte Albano. Castelletto rises above the historical part of the city, giving visitors a panoramic view of Genoa and the ocean. Rich green cyprus, clear skies, buildings covered in bright stucco, and a wide view of a crystalline sea attracts many visitors to this district. In addition to the fortress and sights, visitors might be interested in the Castle of Albertis, which today is the Museum of the Cultures of the World of Genoa, and Piaggio Villa, which has an annexed public park.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: francesco.delorenzi
Photo: arka2007
Photo: Mario Fallico
Photo: Guido Campani
Photo: Marco Delpiano
Photo: Gabriele Scotti
Photo: Stefano Prigione

Downtown

Genoa
Italy
It is easy to be enraptured by the maze of narrow streets in the historic centre. Genoa is a vertical city, where the sky can sometimes feel very close and give one a feeling of dizziness. Refined palaces are side by side with humble houses, which in the historic centre, are all close to the beautiful churches of the city, which have austere, black and white striped, marble facades or opulent, baroque architecture. Genoa has a secret beauty that can be found in its daring architecture, traces of splendid frescoes and imposing, noble palaces.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: arka2007
Photo: Gary W. Royer

Nervi

Genoa
Italy
Once a coast town of Liguria, Nervi is now a district of Genoa. It is often frequented as a winter resort. At the beginning of the century, it was described as being surrounded by groves of olives, oranges and lemons. The climate is moist, not dusty like the Riviera, and therefore attracts many people with lung ailments. Tours must be covered on feet and usually begin at the ancient harbour, onto the Anita Garibaldi Promenade, and ending at the parks and rose garden. This gives access to the Modern Art Gallery and the collections of the Luxoro and Frugone families.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Michele Versace
Photo: Massimo Strazzeri
Photo: Silvia
Photo: davide camorani
Photo: Matias Lopez Vergara
Photo: Rita Vicinanza
Photo: pepi 1965
Photo: brunno1

Photo: Francesco Squillace
Photo: anna&steve
Photo: Fulvio Cavagnini
Photo: paciugone
Photo: damianotm
Photo: Denis Mysenko
Photo: maryuta

Old Port

Genoa
Italy
Thanks to the Acquario di Genova, Genoa's Acquarium, the largest and most modern of its kind in Europe that was built on the anniversary of Columbus in 1992, the city is now a tourist destination. People also come here to visit the Old Port area, which has been renovated for public use, and the new Expo area has become, along with the more classic Lanterna, the new symbol of Genoa. From the top of the old piers, and the lift on the Bigo, a metallic structure built on the Old Pier, there is a splendid view over the whole city. The Republic of Genoa, a naval power, had to defend itself on land with a wall and surrounding forts. This was built in the first half of the seventeenth century and there is a comprehensive view of the city from here, which includes the remains of the towers, a testimony to past greatness and modern day towers.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: matteopenzo
Photo: Patrizia Palla

Sestri

Genoa
Italy
Sestri is the industrial suburb of Genoa, where machines and tools are manufactured. It is situated west of the city, by the Ligurian Sea, between Cornigliano and Pegli. Its name is derived from the Latin Sextum, which was a little village probably built in the second century. There, they assembled the stones necessary for completing the Roman road as it left Genoa. There are no records of how big a population the village had until the 15th century, but today Sestri is home to about 50,000. You can find the Ansaldo shipyards in Sestri, as well.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Alessandro Vecchi
Photo: Andrea Monaldi
Photo: Maria Johannessen
Photo: baicin

Other Schmapplets in this city related to "Genoa - Neighborhood Guide"
Genoa
Genoa - Historical Background
Genoa - Where to Stay
Genoa - Dining & Drinking
Genoa - Art & Entertainment
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Verona (199 miles)
Venice (282 miles)
Marseille (304 miles)
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