Built on the site of the original settlement, and sheltering under the 11th-century Embriaci Tower, this Romanesque church and convent, itself built before AD 900, is an extraordinary and little-visited historic site. Its walls are covered with treasures that were commissioned by the noble families of Genoa from the earliest times, though some of the notable frescoes also date to the 16th and 17th century. Private tours, by coin donation, are possible.
Santa Maria di Castello
Genoa
Contact
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.42 MILES
Skirting the northern edge of the old city limits, pedestrianised Via Garibaldi (formerly Strada Nuova) was planned by Galeazzo Alessi in the 16th century…
0.66 MILES
If you only get the chance to visit one of the Palazzi dei Rolli (group of palaces belonging to the city's most eminent families), make it this one. A…
-
5.94 MILES
Some 18,000 items from the period 1880–1945 are displayed in the Wolfson Collection, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, decorative arts,…
0.31 MILES
The heart of medieval Genoa – bounded by ancient city gates Porta dei Vacca and Porta Soprana, and the streets of Via Cairoli, Via Garibaldi and Via XXV…
2.5 MILES
When the sun is shining, do as the Genovese do and decamp for a passeggiata (late afternoon stroll) along the oceanside promenade, Corso Italia, which…
13.65 MILES
The hamlet's sensitively restored Benedictine abbey was built as a final resting place for Bishop St Fructuosus of Tarragona, martyred in Spain in AD 259…
0.42 MILES
Flemish, Spanish and Italian artists feature at Palazzo Bianco, the second of the triumvirate of palazzi that are together known as the Musei di Strada…
14.9 MILES
This exquisitely turned-out mansion and gardens, part of a 16th-century castle complex, overlooks the sea. In the lavish Italian gardens, you can take an…
Nearby Genoa attractions
0.17 MILES
Genoa's zebra-striped Gothic–Romanesque cathedral owes its continued existence to the poor quality of a British WWII bomb that failed to ignite here in…
0.17 MILES
In the sacristy of the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, the Museo del Tesoro preserves various dubious holy relics, including the medieval Sacro Catino, a glass…
0.21 MILES
Hidden behind Piazza de Ferrari, this former Jesuit church dating from 1597 has an intricate and lavish interior. The wonderfully frescoed walls and…
0.22 MILES
Once the seat of the independent republic, this grand palace was built in the Mannerist style in the 1590s and was largely refurbished after a fire in the…
0.23 MILES
The port that once controlled a small empire is now one of the most popular places to enjoy a passeggiata (evening stroll). Superyacht lovers are…
0.24 MILES
One of the most famous monuments on Genoa's waterfront is this mural-covered building constructed in 1260. St George is one of Genoa's patron saints, and…
0.26 MILES
Three monumental gates were built in Genoa from 1155 as part of a defensive wall system. Porta Soprana is one of two that survived, Porta dei Vacca is the…
0.26 MILES
Genoa's fountain-embellished main piazza is ringed by magnificent buildings that include the art nouveau Palazzo della Borsa, which was once the country's…