Cathedral of San Lorenzo

The most important church in Genoa dates back to the 12th century: the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, the cathedral of the Genoese.

You have to take via San Lorenzo, in the historic center of the city, and you will find it in front of you. The facade with the three Gothic portals, the bell towers (one remained incomplete), dominated by high relief bas-reliefs and on the sides two magnificent stone lions.

Inside it is marvelous and mixes different artistic styles, the legacy of centuries of history, and many frescoes and works of art, creating a wonderful atmosphere.
The relics of St. Lawrence, which came to the city after Crusades, are kept here. It is worth visiting the Museum of the Treasure which is located in the basement of the Cathedral.

There are two curiosities related to the cathedral of San Lorenzo:

Inside the church on the right is an English World War II grenade , which fell inside the cathedral but miraculously exploded.

Outside, however, you can go in search of the miniature of a small dog carved in marble . It seems that at the time of construction this little dog always wandered around the workers and sculptors. When the little dog disappeared and was never found, the sculptors dedicated this small sculpture to him on the facade of the cathedral.

Both the bomb inside and the dog outside can be touched and they seem to bring good luck!