Genoa was rivalled only by Barcelona and Venice as a medieval and Renaissance maritime power, so its 'museum of the sea' is, not surprisingly, one of its most relevant and interesting. High-tech exhibits trace the history of seafaring, from Genoa’s reign as Europe’s greatest dockyard to the ages of sail and steam.
A section on the ground floor is dedicated to native son Christopher Columbus. Alongside is a scale reconstruction of a 17th-century galley ship, given extra drama by added sound effects and snippets of film. The 2nd floor guards a valuable collection of old maps and globes, while the 3rd floor has a more recent documentation of Italian emigration by sea. The top-floor mirador has one of Genoa’s best cityscape views.