Highlights of Genoa, Genoa, Italy

Genoa does not loom large in the imagination of visitors to Italy as a must-see destination. Even as far as Liguria goes, you are most likely to prioritize seeing Cinque Terre or Portofino before setting your sights on the region’s capital city. That goes some way to explain how, in my nearly quarter of a century of coming to Italy practically every year, I had not set foot in Genoa until the recent November trip.

Somewhat unexpectedly, the historic center of Genoa - by some measures, it is the largest in Europe - loosely reminded me of one of my favorite places in the world, Venice. Minus the canals, of course. The vehicular-traffic-free maze of narrow alleyways - called caruggi - that connect lovely small piazzas presided over by impressive churches and palaces projects a vibe of simultaneously finding oneself directionally lost and on the verge of the next exciting discovery. That type of vibe inevitably infuses a walk around La Serenissima, and my amble around Genoa approximated that to a degree. A few street perspectives can hardly convey the feeling; you’ll have to trust me.

The wall chapels known as Madonnelle - in their vast majority, they depict the Virgin Mary - appear on many caruggi corners. Given that the surrounding buildings are frequently in need of TLC, the altars have a beautifying effect in addition to their votive purpose. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).