Santa Maria di Castello

Built on the site of the original settlement, and sheltering under the 11th-century Embriaci Tower, this Romanesque church and convent, itself built before AD 900, is an extraordinary and little-visited historic site. Its walls are covered with treasures that were commissioned by the noble families of Genoa from the earliest times, though some of the notable frescoes also date to the 16th and 17th century. Private tours, by coin donation, are possible.