A last post
about our Italian holidays… after all this blog should rather be about Paris.
Yes, we also
went to Genoa.
One reason
was to allow the grand-kids (and ourselves) to visit one of Europe’s largest aquariums,
situated in the old port. It was created in 1992, as part of the celebration of
the 500 years since the Genoa-born Christopher Columbus (re)discovered the new
world. The architect was Renzo Piano - also known for the Pompidou Centre and
the future Palace of Justice in Paris.
We also
took the time to walk around the older part of the town, including along the
Via Garibaldi and the number of old palaces…
… the
Piazza de Ferrari with the Opera and, nearby, the Palace of the Doges… and also
some more narrow streets. Many buildings are nicely decorated.
Close to
the port you find the 13th century Palazzo San Giorgio (see top
picture), built to be the civil-political centre of the city, abandoned, for a
while a prison with Marco Polo as its most famous resident – where he dictated
his memoirs – and then becoming the home of the Bank of Saint George, founded
in 1407, the world’s oldest chartered bank (with the Grimadi family as part
owners).
The 12th
century Genoa Cathedral (Cattedrale di San Lorenzo) – with a façade from the 14th
century – is richly decorated.
In the cathedral there is a
fresco from 1626, illustrating the Last Supper. I may be wrong, but this
reminded me of a contemporary painting I once saw in Lima, see post here, where
Maria Magdalena is represented. This may be one of the apostles, but…
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