What to do and see in Piazza De Ferrari, Liguria: The Best Sights & Landmarks

Set between the Cathedral and the nearby Palazzo Ducale, the cloister of San Lorenzo was built in the 12th century on the site of the ancient Carolingean defense walls as the residence of the priests serving the Cathedral. The structure of the building is rather complex due to the works of various restorations throughout the centuries. The first restoration works began in the XVI century; in 1653 two floors were added and thus the airy Romanesque loggias of ambulatories were substituted with broad and massive arches supported by strong pillars. Sold to the City in 1923, the cloister was accurately restored between 1988 and 1992. This project was preceded by archeological investigations which uncovered the remains of a house dating from the Roman era (1st c. BC). On the upper floors, the walls show precious wall paintings dating from the 13th century, such as the rare Cycle of the Months. The cloister houses the Diocesan Museum, which displays works from all the churches of the Dioceses, including archeological finds; silver ornaments; sculpture groups, such as the Sepulchral Monument to Luca Fieschi; works with gold-leaf backgrounds, such as the Polyptych of Saint Bartholomew, by Barnaba da Modena (14th c.); and numerous altar pieces by artists such as Perin del Vaga, Luca Cambiaso, Domenico Fiasella, Domenico Piola, and Gregorio De Ferrari. The Museum also houses a valuable textile section and the collection of the Teli della Passione, (Cloths of the Passion), painted in 1538 on indigo blue linen, an “ancestor” of the modern denim (Textile Collection, The Regional Board for the Historical, Artistic, and Ethno-Anthropological Heritage of Liguria, in the depository of the Diocesan Museum).

Genoa boasts the longest wall of any city in Europe, with major sections dating from the mid-12th to early 17th centuries intact and recalling highlights of the city's history, protecting itself against invasions from land and sea. Exploring the walls is not complete without going to the Parco urbano delle mura -- a 13-km stretch of wall (only the great wall of China is longer) and its string of forts.