Genoa

It has been called “Genova La Superba.” But for us, it was more than The Superb Genoa; it was an enchanted city that stole our hearts and left an indelible mark on our psyche!

Genoa is beautifully situated on the Italian Riviera and its winters are mild and sunny. It is the capital of the province of Genoa and Liguria on the Ligurian Sea. It is the chief seaport of Italy, and indeed the leading Mediterranean port. A large volume of freight passes through it; and in the days before air travel became prevalent, many passengers embarked and disembarked there.

This critical harbor was badly damaged in WWII; and in 1954- 55 the rebuilt facilities were destroyed by storms. It has since been rebuilt and greatly modernized.

Until recently, Genoa was a commercial and industrial centre but, as has happened in many advanced Western countries, its industry has lost out to third world countries who offer cheaper labor. Today, the service sector (including tourism) has taken over, and has replaced industry.

Genoa is an ancient town of the Ligures. It thrived under Roman rule, and around the 10th century, it became a free commune governed by consuls.

With the help of Pisa, in the 11th century, it drove the Arabs out of Corsica and Sardinia. But the ancient allies became enemies when they tried to control Sardinia; Genoa dominated in the resulting wars that followed.

It fared well during the Crusades era as it acquired trading privileges in area from Spain to the Crimea.

Later, the city came under Spanish, French, and Austrian control. In 1746, the Austrians were expelled following a popular uprising; in 1768 it had to cede Corsica, its last outlying possession, to France. Napoleon brought to an end the rule of the aristocracy and, in 1805, formally annexed the Ligurian Republic (which included Genoa) to France. Later political developments resulted in the Genoa (as part of Italy) we know today.

Genoa has a lot to offer to visitors. You have for instance the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, the Palace of the Doges, and the churches of the Annunciation: St. Ambrose, and St. Donato. Its public parks offer the Genovese plenty of green spaces.

As much as our time and circumstances permitted, we visited these historic places. After all these years, I no longer remember what we saw and what we left out.

Sources

1. Piraeus, Athens, Greece www.greece-athens.com/place.php?place_id=38
2. Acropolis-Tour of Acropolis of Athens-Acropolis is Site of the Parthenon http://cruises.about.com/od/mediterraneancruises/ss/Acropolis.htm
3. Parthenon – Athens, Greece www.sacred-destinations.com/greece/athens-parthenon
4. Genoa: Introduction – Infoplease.com www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0820489.html
5. Genoa: History – infoplease.com www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0858355.html
6. Genoa: Points of Interest – Infoplease.com www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0858354.html
7. Genoa – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genoa

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