Piazza San Bernardo

Piazza San Bernardo, a small square in the heart of the narrow streets of Genoa, dates from about 1350, when it connected the city centre to the port. On this square stands the exquisite Palazzo Salvaghi, built around 1500 by the Salvaghi, one of the oldest noble families in Genoa. The building has a black and white facade, with medieval arches, embellished by an imposing marble door with statues of wild men resting on lions (the family crest - "Salvaghi" means "savages"). It is currently a private residence. In the square, you'll also find the entrance to the Oratory of St Peter and Paul, built in 1700, and the building where Goffredo Mameli, composer of the Italian national anthem, was born in 1827.