No visit to Genoa is compete without a visit to "Cattedrale Di San Lorenzo!" The architecture of…read morethe outside of the Cathedral, as well as the inside of the Cathedral are breathtaking in every way. Unfortunately, as of the time that I took these photos (July, 2022), the outside of the structure is being cleaned or restored so there is a lot of scaffolding, but do not let it prevent you from visiting! As you can see from my photos, it is still magnificent. Cathedrals and Holy Sites as amazing as "Cattedrale Di San Lorenzo" deserve to be kept up and looking great, so please be mindful of that if you visit!

The San Lorenzo Cathedral (St. Laurence Cathedral), or "Duomo," is Genoa's beautiful, old cathedral…read morethat was founded in the 4th or 5th century. It is located in the city center and has a black- and white-striped façade. It was built to hold what were said to be the relics of John the Baptist which the Genoese brought back from the Holy Land during the Crusades and is supposed to be haunted by the workmen who built it. Don't miss the bomb launched by the British Navy. It came through the walls of this great cathedral, but did not explode on February 9, 1941. It was truly a lovely church! Inside the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo was the Treasure Museum. This is a small museum filled with an incredible amount of gold and silver objects. It was built in1956. You follow the signs in the front of the church to the sacristy, where you purchase your ticket. Then, you walk down a short flight of stairs to the entrance to the four rooms of the Museum. The silver statue is the reliquary of St. Lawrence. Don't miss the Sacred Basin, the Byzantine Cross of the Zaccaria, the plate on which the head of St. John the Baptist was carried to King Herod for his inspection, along with the reliquary ark of the Barbarossa and the 15th-century processional ark!

In Italy, there seems to be an interesting church around every corner. I consider myself to be a…read morespiritual person and this Chiesa di San Matteo immediately caught my attention. I think it was the sight of the Parish Priest standing outside the distinctive structure that really intrigued me. The Church was founded in 1125 by Martino Doria, as the private chapel of his family. In 1278 it was totally renewed in Gothic style. This church asks that photos not be taken inside, and I was happy to just stand there and watch as the Priest and assistant were preparing the Altar

This little gem is tucked away nicely in the depths of Genova, Italy. We weren't able to go…read moreinside, yet the exterior is fabulous.. Absolutely beautiful. Here's some more information via Wikipedia: "Santa Maria Assunta is a Renaissance church in Genoa, Italy. It is located on a residential sector called Carignano located on the hills just above city center, thus the church is also known as Santa Maria Assunta di Carignano." "It was designed in 1522 by the Perugian architect Galeazzo Alessi by will of a Genoese patrician, Bandinello Sauli, who had died in 1481. The construction lasted from more than fifty years. The dome was completed in 1603, after the church had been consecrated in 1583. In the 19th century the façade was reconstructed by Carlo Barabino. In 1951 it received the rank of basilica and was reconsecrated as such by cardinal Giuseppe Siri. In 1999 it housed the funerals of singer-songwriter Fabrizio De André." Beautiful, yet I felt that it really wasn't worth going out of my way for.

Ran into this place by accident and first thought it was a Roman style building that belonged to…read morethe University or something like that. In fact it's anything but, and a gorgeous chuch with amazingly beautiful interiors. Absolutely loved it and would suggest this as one of the places to visit when in town ;-)) The interior is stunning with decorate painted ceilings and columns and tons of ornate throughout. A beautiful place indeed :-)