Neptune's Needle

City (1991 pop. 678,771), (cap.) Genoa prov. and of Liguria, NW Italy, on the Ligurian Sea; 44º25'N 08º57'E. Beautifully situated on the Italian Riviera, it is the chief seaport of Italy and rivals Marseille, France, as the leading Mediterranean port. Stretching 20 mi/32 km E-W along the coast, it is an outlet for the Po Valley and for central Europe and handles extensive passenger and freight traffic. Genoa’s harbor facilities, badly damaged in World War II and by storms in 1954-1955, have been rebuilt and greatly modernized. An anc. town of the Ligures, Genoa flourished under Roman rule. Around the 10th cent. it became a free commune governed by consuls. Its maritime power increased steadily. Helped by Pisa, Genoa drove the Arabs from Corsica and Sardinia (11th cent.). Rivalry over control of Sardinia resulted in long wars with Pisa; Genoa finally triumphed in the naval battle of Meloria (1284). The Crusades brought Genoa great wealth. The Congress of Vienna united (1814) Genoa and Liguria with the kingdom of Sardinia. In 1922 a major Eur. economic conference was held in the city.

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Compiler

Peter Richards