The port of Genoa, between ancient and modern

The Palazzo San Giorgio , in Piazza Loading, was built in 1260 by the will of the Capitano del Popolo and was enlarged in 1570: from the 15th century it was the seat of the Banco di San Giorgio and here Marco Polo was imprisoned and it seems that he dictated his stories of trip to Rustichello from Pisa.

The Portico della Ripa , or Sottoripa, built in 1133, is a place where you can find everything and is famous for the fried fish that is eaten in the foil in its typical frying shops.

The port area was renovated by Renzo Piano in 1992, on the occasion of the celebrations of the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America. In the Porto Antico , the major tourist attraction is certainly the Aquarium : in constant evolution, it is one of the largest and most visited in the world, built on a project by Renzo Piano; however, there are many innovations, such as the Biosphere, a transparent bubble that contains tropical vegetation and the Bigo, a rotating lift that allows you to enjoy the view of the port and the city. The Galata Museo del Mare , with its ten thousand square meters of exhibition, is the largest maritime museum in the Mediterranean: following a chronological path, it tells the relationship between man and the sea from ancient times to today.

Then there are the Teatro sul Mare and the former Cotton Warehouses , which have been renovated into a commercial and congress center. In the same area stands the Palazzo del Principe , commissioned by A. Doria but completed almost a century later (in the mid-17th century). The garden and its interiors can be visited. Finally, the Lantern , which is one of the symbols of Genoa and dates back to the 12th century, but was rebuilt in 1543 on two floors and used as a prison and, in 1632, inserted in the New Walls.