The legacy of that wealth can still be seen in the city gates, fine palazzi and austere churches with lavish interiors. Over-tourism is not an issue here. For years most visitors would fly in to Genoa airport and head straight for the Cinque Terre, but in recent years the authorities have started using history, culture and, above all, food to tempt people to stop and appreciate the glories of the city called La Superba.
One of the first examples of urban planning, it is lined with palaces of aristocratic families grown rich on trade and finance. Many are now, appropriately, banks; others are museums and art galleries.
The earliest and, for me, the most interesting is Palazzo della Meridiana at its western end, with frescoes of the labours of Hercules on its outer walls, along with the sundial that gives it its name. Genoan cuisine is known for pesto see below and focaccia, its crisp, chewy olive-oil flatbread.
The more well-known pesto becomes, the more it gets detached from its origins. Spend a morning at the home of Enrica Monzani, who left a law career for her real love: food.
She was a finalist in the world pesto championship see below , and blogs at A Small Kitchen in Genoa. Your arm will ache as she has you grinding garlic, pine nuts, coarse salt, basil and a balance of pecorino and parmesan cheeses in a marble mortar to make a silky coating for fresh trofie pasta, which you then enjoy as part of a lunch with wine.
