HISTORY: Starting with the 7th century BC, the area of today’s Genoa was inhabited by Etruscans, Greeks and Ligures. The Ligurian city was called Stalia and, because it had an alliance with Rome during the Second Punic War, it was destroyed by the Carthaginians in 209 BC.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Genoa was occupied by the Ostrogoths and later, after the Gothic War, by the Byzantines. In 643, the city was conquered by the Lombards, under King Rothari, and later, in 773, the Lombard Kingdom was annexed by the Frankish Empire.
Genoa emerged as an independent city-state in the 11th century, as one of the four Maritime Republics, along with Venice, Pisa and Amalfi. In 1284, Genoa won the naval Battle of Meloria against its rival Republic of Pisa and, in 1298, defeated Venice in the Battle of Curzola. The wars with Venice continued during the 14th century, with the climax being the War of Chioggia held between 1378 and 1381.
Genoa was occupied by Austria in 1746 and was annexed by France in 1805. After the Congress of Vienna, the city was incorporated into the Kingdom of Sardinia and, starting with 1860, it became part of the newly created Kingdom of Italy.
GEOGRAPHY: Genoa is today the sixth-largest city in Italy, with about 600,000 inhabitants, and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria. The city is located 150 kilometers of Milan, 228 kilometers of Florence, 255 kilometers of Bologna, 370 kilometers of Venice and about 490 kilometers of Rome.
TRANSPORT: You can get to Genoa by plane, arriving at the Cristoforo Colombo Airport, located only a few kilometers away from the city. From the airport to the city center, you can take the Volabus. The trip takes about 30 minutes and a ticket costs 5€.
By train, you can get to Genoa from Milan in almost two hours, from Florence in about 3 hours and from Rome in about 5 hours or more. The cheapest ticket from Milan costs 13.45€, from Florence is 19.40€ and from Rome is 34.45€.
LANDMARKS: Genoa is known for the biggest Aquarium in Europe, with over 12,000 specimens belonging to about 600 animal species. The city is also known for having the biggest historical center in Europe, composed of many narrow streets and beautiful old buildings. Of the most important tourist attractions, we can mention the Old Harbour (Porto Antico), the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, the Lanterna - the oldest lighthouse in Europe, the Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace) and the Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace).
MORE INFO: Touristic Portal | Genoa Airport | Car Hire | Train Timetables & Fares | Hotels in Genoa
