Genoa, sea, history and surprising alleys

Genoa is a city that is not delivered immediately, but is discovered in parts.

I have been there on more than one occasion but it always makes me feel that I am in a place where the sea and history intertwine naturally, without the need for great presentations.

The city has a strong personality.

Its port, one of the most important in the Mediterranean, has always marked its identity and movement there is constant, with ships, maritime activity and a deep relationship with the sea that defines much of its character.

But the real heart of Genoa is in its historic center since it is really a labyrinth of narrow alleys, known as caruggi, where the city becomes intimate, vertical and almost secret.

Walking there is like getting lost in a network of stones, shadows, small squares and balconies that suddenly appear between narrow passages.

Every corner seems to tell a different story.

Old churches, time-worn facades, small shops and aromas of Italian food that emerge without warning.

The experience is very sensory since you can hear the city before seeing it completely: the echo of footsteps, voices, the life that goes on behind ancient walls.

The contrast appears when you go out towards the modern port area or towards the Piazza De Ferrari, where the architecture changes and the city shows another, broader side, with fountains, imposing buildings and open spaces.

Genoa also has a special relationship with its position facing the sea and from different points you can see views of the Mediterranean, with a light that changes throughout the day and that provides a particular atmosphere, leaving me with a deep impression of that beautiful city.