San Lorenzo Cathedral

Genoa's Romanesque and Gothic cathedral: striped facade, lions, Alessi's dome and the Treasury Museum with the Sacro Catino.

Striped façade of San Lorenzo Cathedral in Genoa

Where: Piazza San LorenzoGenoa
Entry: freethe Treasury Museum and the Diocesan Museum (Museo Diocesano) are paid
Hours: sources disagreeone gives 8 am–12 pm and 3–7 pm every day, another closes at the weekend): confirm with the Diocese. Avoid going in during Mass
Time needed: 30–40 minuteslonger with the Treasury Museum
Don't miss: the facadethe lions on the steps, the dome, the Sacro Catino

Directions

St Lawrence Cathedral (San Lorenzo) is the cathedral of Genoa: a Romanesque and Gothic church from the 12th century with a black-and-white striped facade, in the heart of the old town. Entry is free. Under the church is the Treasury Museum (Museo del Tesoro) with the Sacro Catino; the dome is by Galeazzo Alessi. Check the opening hours before you go.

By Italian Riviera editorial team·Updated on 16 October 2026·2 min read

The facade and the history

Work began in 1098 and the church was consecrated in 1118 by Pope Gelasius II. The Gothic facade with its black-and-white stripes was begun around 1230 and finished between 1307 and 1312, after the fire of 1296. The dome and the apse are by Galeazzo Alessi, commissioned around 1550 and inspired by the Pantheon. Of the two bell towers, only the right-hand one was completed.

Marble lion in front of San Lorenzo Cathedral

The two marble lions beside the steps date from 1840 and are by Carlo Rubatto: they are not the medieval lions on the facade.

What to see inside

Chapel of St John the Baptist: in the left aisle, it holds the ashes of the Baptist, patron saint of Genoa, with statues by Civitali and Sansovino
The 1941 bomb: on 9 February 1941 a British 381 mm naval shell pierced the roof without exploding; in the right aisle you can see one such shell, which according to Wikipedia is a replica
Treasury Museum: in the basement, designed by Franco Albini in 1956: the Sacro Catino (a glass vessel from the 9th–10th centuries, which tradition links to the Grail), the Zaccaria Cross and the Reliquary Chest of the Baptist’s ashes

The Treasury Museum, the Diocesan Museum (Chiostro dei Canonici, Via Reggio 20) and the climb up the towers are paid. 2026 prices and hours are not confirmed: ask at the Diocesan Museum ticket office (+39 010 2475127). The Treasury Museum is included in the Genova Museum Card.

Getting there

Striped Gothic façade of San Lorenzo Cathedral in Genoa

The cathedral is in the old town, close to Piazza De Ferrari and Palazzo Ducale. After your visit you can step into the caruggi (the old town’s alleys) and walk to the Porto Antico.

Where it is

San Lorenzo Cathedral is in Genoa (Genova).

Boundaries: ISTAT, Natural Earth · Interactive map →

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Do you pay to enter St Lawrence Cathedral?

No, entry to the church is free. You pay for the Treasury Museum, the Diocesan Museum and the climb up the towers.

What are the opening hours of Genoa Cathedral?

Sources disagree: one says every day 8 am–12 pm and 3–7 pm, another asks you to check for the weekend. Confirm with the Diocese of Genoa before you go.

What is in the Treasury Museum?

The Sacro Catino, a glass vessel from the 9th–10th centuries linked by tradition to the Grail, the Zaccaria Cross and the Reliquary Chest of the ashes of St John the Baptist.

Why is there a bomb in the cathedral?

In February 1941 a British naval shell pierced the roof without exploding. A shell displayed in the right aisle recalls the episode.

Who built the dome?

Galeazzo Alessi, around the middle of the 16th century, after the damage from the explosion of 1527–30.

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