Monuments to visit Liguria

The bigo was a metal crane once used on the decks of cargo ships to lift goods. In 1992, Renzo Piano took up the concept and made it the symbol of Porto Antico. A useful symbol, since it is also used to support the tent in the nearby festival square. A rotating panoramic elevator takes you to the very top of this large, upside-down spider at a height of 40 m, offering one of the finest views of Genoa and the sea. You'll get two full turns, so you'll be able to see the whole panorama.

To the south-east of the village, a 124-step staircase leads up to the Château de Vernazza. Today, the castle ruins are the only vestige of the enclosure that once surrounded the entire village. A high circular tower, built in the ^13th century, dominates land and sea atop a 70-metre-high rocky spur. From here, there's a breathtaking view of the horizon, the blue expanse of the sea, Monterosso al Mare in the distance, and the village of Corniglia to the left.

This spherical construction of glass and steel was designed by Renzo Piano. The transparent ball can be seen from the harbour and is located at the Aquarium exit. Inside, it is a recreation of a tropical forest, in all its beauty and fragility. There are several rare plant species, such as the giraffe acacia and the coffee and cocoa tree. But also an emblematic fauna: fish, insects, butterflies, birds, reptiles and amphibians. An exotic visit where nature and architecture evolve in total symbiosis.

This th century book is one of the few buildings that have resisted time. The same goes for Corsi and Guarnieri towers as well as Brandale (th century).