Casa della Famiglia Colombo (Columbus' House), Genoa

Just outside the old city walls near Porta Soprana and the cloister of Sant’Andrea, Columbus’ House stands on the site where the explorer is believed to have spent part of his childhood. The current two-story building is an 18th-century reconstruction, raised on the remains of a medieval home damaged in the 1684 bombardment of Genoa. Historical documents trace the Colombo family here between 1455 and 1470, with young Christopher living in the house from the age of four. The ground floor once housed a wool workshop run by his father, Domenico, featuring a kitchen space, a basin for water collection, and a basic latrine.

A wooden truss ceiling separates the lower level from the family quarters above, where two small rooms served for daily living. Though the house may have once risen to three stories, later additions were removed in the early 1900s during urban redevelopment, preserving the structure at its current height. A plaque on the front affirms the home’s significance as a place of origin. Since 1887, when the Municipality of Genoa acquired the site, Columbus’ House has functioned as a compact museum.