2-Hour Private Historical Tour in Genoa: Discover Hidden Alleys and Monuments

Highlights

• Private Genoa Tour
• Maddalena District
• Historical Itinerary

What's included

Itinerary

1. 1

   Piazza Sarzano

   15min

   Sarzano Square is located in the area that is said to be Genoa’s or rather “Ianua”‘s original nucleus. Here you may take a look at the bell tower of Sant' Agostino church and at the small temple. On the background there is the colorfull Ravecca street.

2. 2

   Chiesa Santi Cosma e Damiano

   5min

   Santi Cosma e Damiano church is just one of the beautiful places in the medioeval historic center that guests will be able to see! We don't want to anticipate you too much, it will be a surprise!

3. 3

   Stop 3

   15min

   Dive into history in a place where time seems to stand still, between majestic palaces and luxurious gardens, Via Garibaldi, with its architectural wealth and imposing buildings, is one of the main streets of Genoa and one of the largest in the historic centre. Originally Strada Maggiore, then Strada Nuova but known until the nineteenth century as Via Aurea (the Golden Street). In 1882 it was renamed in honour of Giuseppe Garibaldi.

4. 4

   La Casa di Colombo

   10min

   The so-called Columbus' House is located not far from the gate of Porta Soprana, just outside the medieval walls. It is probably an 18th century reconstruction of the original medieval building, where the discoverer of the Americas spent his youth. The house was likely destroyed during the bombing by the French fleet of King Louis XIV that hit Genoa in 1684. The building has two floors: the ground floor was used as a workshop by his father, Domenico Columbus, who dealt in wool weaving and trade; the home of the family was upstairs. According to written sources, the navigator must have lived here between 1455 and 1470.

5. 5

   Piazza Banchi

   15min

   Located just off one of the most important docks in the city, this was once the site of Genoa’s old grain market, and was known as piazza "dei banchi" in the 12th century due to the money-changers' stalls located under the porticoes of the various buildings.

6. 6

   Il Cittadino - Arcidiocesi di Genova

   15min

   The most important church in Genoa is the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo. The Genoese cathedral and the artistic representations on its walls gave rise to many legends and curiosities. Thanks to the relocation of the cathedral and the construction of the walls, the area of San Lorenzo became the heart of the city, which grew and changed: in a city without squares, the parvis of San lorenzo offered a fundamental stage for the social and political life during the Middle Ages.

7. 7

   Giardini Luzzati

   10min

   Giardini Luzzati is just one of the beautiful places in the medioeval historic center that guests will be able to see. We don't want to anticipate you too much, it will be a surprise!

8. 8

   Piazza Raffaele De Ferrari

   10min

   Genoa's main square, a meeting and gathering place for important city events, is dedicated to Raffaele De Ferrari, the Duke of Galliera, a generous benefactor who donated a considerable sum of money in 1875 towards projects to expand the port. In the centre is a monumental bronze fountain, crafted by the architect Cesare Crosa of Vergagni in 1936. The Teatro Carlo Felice and the building of the Accademia Ligustica di Belle Arti (Ligurian Academy of Fine Arts) that look onto the square were both designed by Carlo Barabino. Piazza De Ferrari is also bordered by the side façade of Palazzo Ducale (the main entrance of which is on the adjacent Piazza Matteotti), Palazzo della Regione Liguria (the offices of the Liguria region, built in 1920), and Palazzo della Nuova Borsa (the new stock exchange), one of the finest examples of Genoese Art Nouveau (1912).

Before you go

Location