Description of the attraction
Cathedral of San Lorenzo is one of the largest churches in Genoa and the seat of the local archbishop. In the 5th or 6th centuries A. D. in its place stood a church dedicated to Saint Sir of Genoa, bishop of the city. As a result of excavations carried out under the base and around the facade of the current building of the cathedral, the walls and foundations of the temple from ancient Rome, as well as pre-Christian sarcophagi, were discovered, which suggests that there was once a cemetery here. Later on this site was built the Church of the Twelve Apostles, in turn replaced by a new cathedral in the Romanesque style, built in honor of the great martyr St. Lawrence. The money for its construction was received from the participation of the Genoese fleet in the Crusades.
The construction of the cathedral in 1115 contributed to the urbanization of this part of the city. Since there were no other public squares in Genoa at that time, the small piazza in front of the cathedral became the main public place of the city and remained so throughout the Middle Ages. The cathedral was consecrated by Pope Gelasius II in 1118, and in 1133 it received archbishop's status. After the terrible fire of 1296, which occurred during the battles between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines, the building of the cathedral was partially rebuilt. In 1312, the restoration of the facade was completed, the internal colonnades were replaced, and empores were added - structures in the form of stands or galleries. At the same time, the interior of the church was painted with frescoes on religious themes. At the same time, the general style of the cathedral - Romanesque - remained intact.
In the 14-15th centuries, various altars and chapels were built in the cathedral. In 1455, a small covered gallery appeared on the north-eastern tower of the façade, and in 1522 a similar one was added to the opposite tower. In 1550, the Perugian architect Galeazzo Alessi began the reconstruction of the cathedral, but he managed to complete only work on the nave, side chapels, dome and apse. The final completion of the construction of the cathedral is attributed to the end of the 17th century. Its dome and medieval parts were restored in 1894-1900.
As luck would have it, the cathedral was not damaged during Operation Grog by British forces in February 1941, when all of Genoa was bombarded with artillery fire. Due to a crew error, the British warship Malaya fired a 381mm armor-piercing round into the southeast corner of the cathedral. The relatively "soft" material could not detonate, and the projectile can still be seen inside.
The Cathedral's Treasure Museum houses a collection of jewelry and silverware dating back to the 9th century AD. to the present day. Perhaps the most valuable exhibit is the Sacred Chalice, brought by Guglielmo Embriaco after the conquest of Caesarea - it is believed that this is the very Chalice that Christ used during the Last Supper.
