Cattedrale di San Lorenzo (Cathedral of St. Lawrence), Genoa (must see)

The Cathedral of San Lorenzo doesn’t just stand in Genoa-it dominates the conversation. Construction began around 1098, and by 1118, Pope Gelasius II was here to inaugurate it, which already tells you this wasn’t a modest parish project. Once the city walls went up, the area around San Lorenzo became Genoa’s beating heart. In medieval times, this wasn’t only a place to pray; it was where religion, politics, and public life all collided, usually quite loudly.

Disaster struck in 1296 when a fire tore through the building, but Genoa responded the way Genoa usually does: by rebuilding bigger and better. The striped façade you see today was finished in 1312, colonnades were restored, matron galleries added, and work continued well into the 17th century. Later still, between 1894 and 1900, restorers stepped in to tidy up the medieval sections and the dome, making sure San Lorenzo looked suitably timeless for the modern age.

Take a moment to face the main façade. Three Gothic portals open beneath recessed arches, with Christ and Saint Lawrence watching calmly from the lunette above the central door. A large rose window sits above, because understatement clearly didn’t make the cut. Two stone lions flank the steps, looking eternally unimpressed, while two towers of different heights rise above them-a reminder that architectural symmetry was never a strict requirement.

Inside, the cathedral follows a basilica plan with a transept and choir. Three naves stretch ahead, divided by marble columns and striped arches in alternating light and dark stone. Above them, smaller Romanesque arches in grey stone add another visual rhythm, creating an interior that feels both ordered and dramatic.

On the left, you’ll find the chapel dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, Genoa’s patron saint. Inside is an urn holding his relics, brought here at the end of the First Crusade-because Genoa never missed an opportunity to bring something significant home.

And then there’s the shell. On February 9, 1941, an English battleship fired an armor-piercing shell straight into the cathedral. It punched through a corner of the nave and… didn’t explode. The shell is still there today, quietly minding its own business. Keep an eye out-it’s one of the most unusual souvenirs of World War II.

Entry to the cathedral is free, though you’ll need a ticket for the treasure museum. Either way, San Lorenzo makes it very clear why it has been running the show in Genoa for centuries.