Liguria, with its landscape suspended between the sea and the mountains, has many natural and historical beauties to offer. Genova, its main city, is a city with unique beauty, which boasts a net of little streets that hide magnificent palaces.
UNESCO managed to recognize the beauty of this region and included some of its attractions in its World Heritage List.

UNESCO sites in Liguria go from historical heritage to natural beauties: you can discover them all in this article, thanks to our guide.

Strade Nuove and Palazzi dei Rolli, Genova

In the historic center of Genova, there is a dense network of little streets, called carruggi in the local dialect. Among those streets, you will find ancient noble palaces and majestic squares with beautiful churches. Particularly, UNESCO recognized as World Heritage the system of Palazzi dei Rolli. Those palaces used to be ancient noble residences, which were, of course, very prestigious and beautiful.

In 1576, the Republic of Genova enacted an amendment through which it obliged the nobles to give those palaces to the government during States visits. Based on the importance of the guest, the right prestigious palace was chosen to host them. Those palaces later became the standard for the living of European nobility.

Portovenere, Cinque Terre and the Islands

Liguria also boasts magnificent landscapes, thanks to the harmonious union of human activity and geography. Cinque Terre and Portovenere are a fantastic example of this harmony. The villages of Cinque Terre are located on a cliff and face the turquoise sea, offering a beautiful view.

Portovenere, a town in the Gulf of La Spezia, is another wonderful place that is listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Among the attractions you can find, there is the Doria Castle, the caves of Lord Byron, and the churches of San Pietro and San Lorenzo. The small towns of the islands of Palmaria, Tino, and Tinetto are other places listed in the UNESCO list because they also boast a beautiful landscape that harmonizes the contact between men and nature.

Those places are a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.

The Park of Beigua

Between the provinces of Genova and Savona, there is the National Park of Beigua, the biggest natural area in Liguria. The park became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015 and it consists of a huge stretch of mountains facing the sea. In this area, you can find both native animal and plant species, as well as ancient ruins of old human settlements.

Dry stone walls

The dry stone walls are a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage shared with other 8 European countries, because they possess a huge anthropological value. This type of construction also shows how a harmonious interaction between men and nature is possible.

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September 29th, 2021