Genoa (Genova, ancient Genua) city (and Province) (regional capital), introduction - - Pictures
Genoa (Italian Genova; ancient Genua), city, northwestern Italy, capital of Genoa Province, in Liguria Region, a seaport on the Gulf of Genoa (an arm of the Ligurian Sea). The city lies beside a fine natural harbor at the foot of a pass in the western Apennines. It rivals Marseille, France, as the leading European port of the Mediterranean Sea and is the commercial center of the heavily industrialized sections of Piedmont (Piemonte) and Lombardy (Lombardia), the rich agricultural regions of northern Italy and of central Europe. The harbor facilities, which were heavily damaged during World War II, have been expanded and modernized. Shipbuilding is the leading industry of Genoa. Other important industries are the manufacture of iron and steel products, motors and automotive parts, refrigeration equipment, munitions, chemicals, soap, and the processing of agricultural products. Processing plants include sugar and edible-oil refineries, canneries, tanneries, breweries, and distilleries.
The old quarter of the city covers a narrow strip of coastal plain east and north of the old port, which was enlarged in modern times by the addition of an outer harbor protected by breakwaters. Industrial and residential sections were developed east and west along the shore and on the hills back of the old port. In the heart of the old quarter is the Romanesque-Gothic Church of San Donato, dating from the 12th and 13th centuries, and, on the harbor front, is the Palazzo San Giorgio, which was built in the 14th century by order of the first Genoese doge, Simone Boccanegra, and which later became the seat of the powerful Bank of Saint George.
