This elegant building, part Medieval and part from the 16th century, began taking on its present shape in 1260, when ‘Captain of the People’ Guglielmo Boccanegra decided that Genoa should have a public building near the harbour. The original version of the palace was built as a wharf jutting out into the sea, according to designs by a Benedictine monk, Father Oliverio.
The saying goes that in 1298, Marco Polo was imprisoned here after the battle of Curzola and that, while serving time, he dictated his ‘Milione’ to fellow-prisoner Rustichello da Pisa.
Palazzo San Giorgio became the seat of the Customs’ Office in 1340, and in the 15th century it housed the Bank of Saint George, the powerful banking institution in charge of handling public debts of the Republic of Genoa and, by all means, the first bank in the world.
In 1570, the original building was enlarged and altered. In 1610 Lazzaro Tavarone frescoed the façades looking out over Piazza Caricamento and the Old Harbour area. The place of honour at the top of the façade was kept for the image of Saint George portrayed while killing the dragon.
In the mid-19th century, the medieval part of the building was refurbished by Alfredo D’Andrade; while the 16th-century section was restored by Orlando Grosso.
Nowadays, the building is home to Genoa’s Port Authority.
Tours of the building can be booked or alternatively take place during temporary exhibitions. Visitors should not miss the Hall of the Captain of the People (Sala del Capitano del Popolo), the Grand Staircase and the Loggia.
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