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My main reason for the trip was to attend a 3-day art history course with聽Hotel Alphabet, but it wasn鈥檛 my only reason. Genoa had been a destination I鈥檇 in mind for a long time 鈥� and the reasons were almost totally food-related! For Genoa is the capital of Liguria,聽famed gastronomically聽for the birth of pesto, focaccia and their delicate olive oil. But what also appealed would be a trip to the Cinque Terre. I鈥檇 heard so much about how beautiful it is and know people who鈥檝e walked the UNESCO coastal path.

Genoa offers much more than food and pretty coastal villages though. It鈥檚 the sixth largest city in Italy and has a strong commercial and financial history. Casa di San Giorgio, established in 1407, is one of the oldest in the world; during a tour of the city with Hotel Alphabet we stood in Piazza Banchi and saw the site of the bank and the old stock exchange; there are still a number of banks in the square.

Genoa also has a long history as one of the largest and most important ports in the Mediterranean.聽Culturally, it鈥檚 the birthplace of many famous people: Cristoforo Colombo (indeed he gives his name to the airport); Niccol貌 Paganini of violin fame 鈥� and the prize for an annual competition for young musicians is to be allowed to play one of his violins; Guiseppe Mazzini, a 19th century politician and activist who helped bring about an independent and united Italy; and one of today鈥檚 leading architects, Renzo Piano, who designed London鈥檚 The Shard and the Georges Pompidou centre in Paris. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).