Genoa

A major medieval port that probably began as a Ligurian village on the Sarzano Hill overlooking the natural port (today Molo Vecchio). It prospered through contacts with the Etruscans and the Greeks and as a flourishing Roman municipium, became a road junction, military port, and a market of the Ligurians. After the fall of the Roman Empire and the invasions of Ostrogoths and Lombards, Genoa existed in comparative obscurity as a fishing and agrarian center with little trade. In medieval times, it completed with Venice, Pisa, and Florence for the trade of the Mediterranean. Eastern spices, dyestuffs and medicaments, western cloth and metals, African wool, skins, coral, and gold were the main articles of diversified international commerce. The medieval city wall enclosed a substantial area and dates to the 12th century. The notable project at the Cloister of San Silvestro, for example, revealed well-preserved buildings and a rich range of pottery from many parts of Italy and Spain.

A major medieval port which competed with Venice, Pisa and Florence for the trade of the Mediterranean. Genoa’s importance dates back to Byzantine times, when it was a small fort. The medieval city wall enclosing a substantial area by the seashore probably dates to the 12th century, when the city was fast approaching its zenith. Excavations in the town have demonstrated the wealth of the late medieval deposits. The notable project at the Cloister of San Silvestro, for example, revealed not only well-preserved buildings but a rich range of pottery from many parts of Italy and Spain reflecting some of Genoa’s trading contacts.