III.

Places of Interest

The old quarter of the city covers a narrow strip of coastal plain east and north of the old port, which was enlarged in modern times by the addition of an outer harbour protected by breakwaters. Industrial and residential sections were developed east and west along the shore and on the hills behind the old port. At the heart of the old quarter is the Romanesque Gothic church of San Donato, dating from the 12th and 13th centuries, and on the harbour front is the Palazzo San Giorgio, which was built in the 14th century by order of the first Genoese doge, Simone Boccanegra, and which later became the seat of the powerful Bank of St George.

Work on the cathedral of San Lorenzo in Genoa was begun, according to some accounts, with the first rich booty from the Crusades. The cathedral, consecrated in 1118, contains a wealth of art treasures. The massive 16th-century Palazzo Ducale, former residence of the doges, now houses the law courts. On the Piazza San Matteo are the houses of the Doria family and the Church of San Matteo, founded by the family in 1125 and containing the tomb of the Genoese admiral and statesman Andrea Doria. To the north-west, near the Stazione Marittima where ocean liners dock, stands the 13th-century Church of the Annunziata, noteworthy for its interior containing many fine works of art. The birthplace of Christopher Columbus is also among the historic places of Genoa. The city is the seat of the University of Genoa (1471). The Strade Nuove (“new streets”) and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli in Genoa’s historic centre were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006, as an outstanding example of urban development.