Page 62 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Italian Riviera

60  GENO A AREA B Y AREA

9 Basilica di Santa
Maria Assunta in
Carignano
Piazza di Carignano. Map 3 A4.
Tel 010 540 650. Open 7:30–11am,
4:30–6:30pm daily.
This fine Renaissance church,
one of the city’s most prominent
landmarks, was designed for
the hill closest to the centre
of the city by Galeazzo Alessi,
the great Perugian architect.
Begun in 1549, it took 50 years
to complete.
A monumental flight of
steps, designed by Alessi but
built in the 19th century, leads
up to the broad façade, flanked
by two elegant bell towers.
Rising above is a high central
cupola surrounded by four
smaller domes.
The elaborate sculptural
decoration on the façade, the The two majestic towers of Porta Soprana
work of Claude David (18th
century), includes a statue of 0 Porta Soprana (or q Casa di Colombo
the Virgin Mary over the door, di Sant’Andrea) Piazza Dante. Map 6 D4. Tel 010 449 01
and statues of saints Peter 28. Open Apr, Sep & Oct: 11am–5pm
and Paul in the side niches. Via Di Ravecca 47 nero. Map 6 D4. daily; May–Aug: 11am–6pm daily; Nov–
A balcony runs along the Tel 010 449 01 28. Open Apr, Sep & Mar: 11am–3pm Tue–Thu, 10am–4pm
roofs and around the central Oct: 11:30am–5:30pm daily; May–Aug: Fri–Sun. ∑ coopculture.it
dome, making the most of 11:30am–6:30pm daily; Nov–Mar:
10am–4pm Fri–Sun.
the church’s wonderfully ∑ coopculture.it Legend has it that this modest
panoramic position. house near Porta Soprana
Inside, the harmonious This gate corresponds to an was the childhood home of
exterior motif of pilasters with opening made in the walls in Christopher Columbus, the
Corinthian capitals continues. the 9th century to connect world-famous navigator who
As in St Peter’s in Rome, the Genoa to the east. The actual was born in Genoa in 1451.
four vast pilasters that support structure, however, was part of The house that visitors can
the cupola have niches a ring of walls built in 1155 to tour today is, in fact, an 18th-
containing defend Genoa from cen tury reconstruction: the
statues: these possible attack by original house was destroyed
include St Emperor Frederick I, by cannon fire during a French
Sebastian by known as bombard ment in 1684.
Pierre Puget Barbarossa.
(1620–94). On It is similar
the second altar to the Porta
on the right is a di Santa Fede,
Martyrdom of on the other side of
St Blaise by the city. Restoration
Carlo Maratta carried out in the
(1625–1713), 19th and 20th
and in the sixth Statue of the Virgin Mary in Santa centuries has
on the left a Maria in Carignano liberated the
famous Pietà historic gate of
(c.1571) by Luca Cambiaso. the structures added to it over
Other paintings, some of which the centuries, and exposed the
have been adapted to fit the pointed arch, flanked by a
church’s particular setting, are pair of imposing cylindrical
by Domenico Fiasella and battlemented towers. These
Guercino. The organ, dating are ornamented by delicate The supposed birthplace of famous explorer
from 1656, is remarkable. arcading and cornicing. Christopher Colombus
For hotels and restaurants in this area see p180 and pp188–9

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