Walk from Piazza S. Giorgio to piazza Banchi and Via Luccoli

Palazzo S. Giorgio

The tradition tells us that this palace was the prison in which Marco Polo told his journeys to Rustichello da Pisa, that before was the Customs Palace and nowadays the Port Authority seat. The building was renovated in 1912 by Ludovico Pogliaghi, and again in 1990, when the 16th Century-old construction was returned to its ancient splendour. In the interior the Salone delle Compere (Purchase Hall), with its statues and paintings, is worth a visit.

Ancient Harbour

The recovery of the ancient harbour area is one of Renzo Piano’s masterpieces. The worries about the future of the area after 1992 have been groundless, especially for what concerns the Aquarium, nowadays one of the most important attractions in the city and the third most visited exhibition place in Italy.
Its 6000 specimen of 600 marine species, 61 tanks and almost 10000 square metres of surface make it one of the biggest structures of this type in Europe. Not to miss is the Grande Nave Blu (Great Blue Ship), where you can find fishes, reptiles and rare plants from Madagascar. The big glass sphere designed by Renzo Piano and open in 2001 in the area near the Aquarium houses tropical ferns. Another successful initiative in the area – now rich in restaurants and shops- is the so-named Bigo, a huge metal structure supporting a rotating panoramic lift. Offices and shops are housed in the four buildings of Porto Franco, part of a complex built in 1595, and the Quartiere Millo, housing the Antarctica National Museum : equipped with modern multimedia devices, this exhibition area illustrates the research activities in the “Baia Terra” Base..

Porta del Molo

This bulwark, rest of the ancient walls dating back to the 16th Century, is also called “Porta Siberia”. This was the area where custom duties were paid. Since 2001 it houses the Emanuele Luzzati Museum, dedicated to the works of this great stage designer..

Via del Molo

After Porta Del Molo you will find this road which takes the name from the quarter where since the ancient times people working in the harbour has lived. It’s quite curious to find here, a church dedicated to Saint Mark. Venice’s Patron Saint: built in 1173, in the left side you will find a plaque with Saint Mark’s Lion, coming from the spoil of the Croatian city of Pula. On the other side of the road the 16th Century Old palazzo del Magazzino del Grano still preserves a very nice portal.

Genoa Big Harbour

It is the first in Italy and Mediterranean together with Marseille.
It comprises 19 km of offshore dam and 28 km of piers, arriving with its container terminal until Voltri. The visit by boat, with departure from the Aquarium area, is very interesting.