The itinerary begins from Piazza Cavour and goes up along Via San Lorenzo until the Cathedral, covering the whole area included in the first city wall. From the church – with a detour to Piazza San Matteo – and stopping in Piazza Matteotti, you reach the San Andrea Doorway. From here you go down to the Church of San Donato, then follow the road called “Stradone Sant’Agostino” and, after the conventual complex of Santa Maria di Castello, take the roads downhill Via San Bernardo, Via dei Giustiniani and Canneto il Lungo, remains of the medieval street system.

Via S.Lorenzo
This road dates back to the 19th Century, but only the recent and successful pedestrianization transformed it in one of the most beautiful streets in the city.

Cattedrale di S. Lorenzo
The today’s mainly gothic aspect of the cathedral is due to the carrying out by Norman workers in the first decades of the 13th Century of the first part pf the façade, characterized by a geometric pattern with white and black stripes, very common in the Tyrrhenian area. The two column supporting lions at both sides of the façade date back to the same period. In 1840, after the opening of Via san Lorenzo and the lowering of the square in front, a staircase was added, in which you can admire other two lions by Carlo Rubatto. Crossing the sacristy you can enter the San Lorenzo Treasury Museum, situated in 4 underground halls, with walls covered by black stone.

Via Tommaso Reggio on the left hand side of the cathedral houses several political and religious buildings, some of them also connected by suggestive air passage. We can remember Palazzetto Criminale, seat for more than two centuries of the State Archive, preserving old codices, Genoa Republic Acts and other precious documents.

Piazza S. Matteo
Courtly square belonging to the family Doria, the building around it still testify their old power, from Andrea Doria Palace to Lamba Doria Palace and on the left side of the square.
Domenicaccio and Branca Doria palaces, with their typical façades with white and black stripes, dating back to the second half of the thirteen Century.

Palazzo Ducale
This building came back to its original beauty thanks to the renovation works for the Columbus celebrations of 1992. It is now destined to exhibitions and events.

Porta di S. Andrea o Soprana
The name Soprana means “Located above”, because this doorway was situated in an upper position than the other ones. Today it is the border between the Old and the New Town.

S. Donato
This church represents one of the most important testimonies of Genovese Romanesque style; its octagonal bell tower, which has been taken as model by the designers of the modern building called “Matitone” in the area of san Benigno.

S. Agostino
This church has been deconsecrated for more than two centuries, its interior houses some shows of the Teatro della Tosse, located in the building in front.

Piazza Sarzano
After the decline after the Second World War, this area lived a rebirth thanks to the Faculty of Architecture, which was moved here in a building built on the ruins of San Silvestro Monastery, dating back to the 17th Century.