Genoa, the New Secret Elegance of the Mediterranean

Genoa ©YesICannes.com

At ILTM 2025, the Italian National Tourist Board unveiled the treasures of Genoa during a refined Ligurian dinner orchestrated by Chef Matteo Gigliola at Plage L’Annex, celebrating the city through the prism of luxury and authenticity.

ILTM 2025 : an official presentation held at Plage L’Annex on the iconic Cannes Croisette brought together institutional leaders, elected officials, journalists, and tourism professionals, offering Genoa the opportunity to reveal its hidden treasures, its strong cross-border momentum, and its growing international ambition. Long preserved from mass tourism, Genoa is now emerging as Italy’s new luxury destination, blending exceptional heritage, five-star hospitality, Mediterranean lifestyle, and rare authenticity. The city clearly asserts its international ambition: to attract a premium clientele in search of unique experiences. A city of art, sea, and history, Genoa embodies a rare form of luxury – that of authenticity – and today stands as one of the most fascinating destinations in the Mediterranean.

Sandra Torre (speaking) Genoa Tourisme Board Director ©YesICannes.com

A Renaissance Driven by Franco-Italian Dynamics

Located at the heart of the new cross-border cooperation between France and Italy, Genoa fully benefits from the momentum created by the Quirinal Treaty. Strategic ties with Nice, Menton, Monaco, and the French Riviera are opening a new chapter for high-end tourism. The future direct rail link between Genoa and Nice, without changing trains in Ventimiglia, will further enhance access to this exclusive destination. The growing ties between Genoa, Nice, Menton, Sanremo, and Ventimiglia symbolize a shared ambition to build a true territory of tourism, cultural, and economic cooperation.

Genoa ©YesICannes.com

The Rare Luxury of a UNESCO-Classified Historic Center

Few European cities can boast a historic center as vast, as preserved, and as vibrantly alive. In Genoa, luxury lies in the authenticity of a thousand-year-old heritage listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The legendary alleyways – the carruggi, the beating heart of the city – blend aristocratic palaces, discreet boutiques, artisan workshops, and refined dining tables. A discreet, unpretentious luxury reserved for curious and discerning travelers. In Genoa, you don’t simply visit – you explore. Its alleys bear poetic names: Vico dello Zucchero, Vico della Fragola, Vico del Cioccolato. The botteghe storiche, century-old shops, are true treasure chests. The legendary Giacalone barber shop, saved by the FAI foundation, still allows guests to be groomed in a setting from another century.

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The Palazzi dei Rolli, the Historical Cradle of Prestige Hospitality

Genoa was the first city in the world to establish an official system of luxury hospitality during the Renaissance: the Palazzi dei Rolli. Today, the city draws upon this unique legacy through 42 classified palaces that still reflect this glorious past. Among them, the sumptuous Palazzo Balbi Senarega, now home to the University of Genoa, where art history is studied beneath 17th-century frescoes by Valerio Castello and Gregorio De Ferrari. Palazzo Rosso, Palazzo Bianco, and Palazzo Doria Tursi form a museum complex unlike any other in the world, as does the secret garden of Palazzo Lomellino, hidden behind its walls – a suspended oasis of beauty. These palaces embody the grand art of hospitality now open to visitors from around the world.

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A Destination Ranked Among the World’s Most Beautiful

In 2023, the Financial Times named Genoa “Italy’s Secret City.” A distinction now proudly embraced, reflecting the city’s commitment to revealing its true identity on the global stage. As early as 2020, its panorama had already been voted “the most beautiful in the world for tourism”: a vertical city clinging to the mountains and opening onto a glittering sea, where every alley may reveal an endless blue horizon. Genoa offers a striking natural spectacle—steep mountains, shimmering waters, colorful rooftops, and an industrial port reinvented as a symbol of modernity.

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Pesto, a Culinary Identity and Gastronomic Refinement

In Genoa, pesto is an art, a tradition, and a source of pride. It is not merely a dish but a cultural signature, a memory passed down through generations. Every family preserves its own recipe as a precious heritage – everyone agrees that grandmother’s pesto remains unbeatable. In today’s refined restaurants, Ligurian cuisine has become a true sensory experience, blending seafood, fresh basil, olive oil, and distinctive wines. Every two years, Genoa becomes the world capital of pesto during a unique event: the World Pesto Championship with Mortar.

Basil ©YesICannes.com

An Extraordinary Event in Genoa

The World Mortar Pesto Championship is an exceptional event combining three essential elements: tradition, art, and excellence. Every two years, within the historic halls of the Palazzo Ducale, competitors from around the globe gather for a day entirely dedicated to Ligurian pesto tradition. Organized by Roberto Panizza chef of restaurant Il Genovese and the Palatifini Association, with the support of the Genoa Chamber of Commerce, the championship has become a global reference for lovers of pesto and traditional Italian cuisine.

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In Genoa, Pesto Is Crowned World Champion

At the origin of this prestigious competition stands Roberto Panizza, an iconic figure of Ligurian gastronomy, internationally known as the “King of Pesto.” A passionate restaurateur, committed producer, and tireless guardian of Genoese culinary traditions, he has devoted his life to preserving authentic pesto alla genovese, prepared according to ancestral mortar techniques. Together with his brother Sergio, he runs Il Genovese restaurant in the heart of the city – an authentic sanctuary for traditional pesto. Founded in 2007, the World Championship gathers around one hundred participants at each edition, celebrating the art of artisanal pesto beyond borders.

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A Tasting of Ligurian Gastronomic Specialties

The evening dedicated to Genoa at Plage L’Annex concluded with a tasting of Ligurian specialties prepared by Chef Matteo Gigliola from the restaurant Il Genovese in Boccadasse, including the house’s signature pesto.

Matteo Gigliola ©YesICannes.com

Boccadasse, the Luxury of Authentic Dolce Vita

A former fishing village now part of Genoa, with its pastel-colored houses turned into a chic icon and living postcard, Boccadasse embodies the sensitive soul of Liguria. It enchants travelers seeking pure emotion: pastel façades, pebble beach, traditional boats, and seaside restaurants. A favorite address for aesthetes and lovers of confidential Mediterranean charm. Pebble beach, fishing boats, and endless sea—Mediterranean charm in its purest form.

Bocadasse ©YesICannes.com

Bocadasse beach ©YesICannes.com

Porto Antico, Renzo Piano’s Contemporary Signature

A symbol of Genoa’s urban renewal, the Porto Antico, redesigned by architect Renzo Piano, embodies modern Genoa: aquarium, marina, rooftops, restaurants, galleries, and waterfront promenades. Once a global maritime crossroads, it has been reborn as a creative, cultural, and lifestyle hub open to the future.

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Five-Star Hospitality on the Rise

Genoa also asserts its premium positioning through a new wave of prestigious hotels: Hotel Bristol Palace, Hotel Capitolo Riviera, Hotel Durazzo Suites, Hotel Meliá, Hotel Savoia, among others, embody a modern hospitality rooted in tradition. A new generation of palaces and five-star hotels combining heritage elegance, contemporary design, and exclusive services – confirming Genoa’s readiness to welcome an international luxury clientele.

Palazzo Negrone – Piazza Fontane Marose ©YesICannes.com

A Confidential, Complete Luxury Destination

Between culture, sea, and discreet luxury, Genoa now offers a rare travel experience. Genoa is not visited – it is unveiled. A city of art, gastronomy, living heritage, and spectacular panoramas, it offers a total tourism experience: cultural, sensory, historical, and emotional. A luxury without ostentation, reserved for travelers in search of meaning, beauty, and truth. As a beloved Genoese song says: “Genoa is truly discovered when arriving by sea.”

NESS1, the Pinnacle of Luxury

Time, money, sex, drugs, and love – provocative themes reinterpreted by NESS1 with irony, fantasy, and avant-garde vision. Their golden reflective surfaces invite both hedonistic pleasure and deep introspection. NESS1 jewelry are wearable, collectible works of art in 18-carat gold and diamonds. Each exclusive piece is numbered and can be displayed like a masterpiece in a 24-carat gold frame.

Precious Jewels as Works of Art

NESS1 jewels are unusual pieces to wear, to display, and to collect. These iconic pieces will forever change the way you wear and perceive high-jewelry items. The fine jewelry is crafted from 18-carat gold and diamonds. There are five collections of fine jewelry in 18-carat gold and diamonds dedicated to modern passions, such as “Drogue,” which is limited to 100 numbered copies. Each piece bears an exclusive collection number. The 24-carat gold NESS1 frame allows you to present your precious jewels like a work of art.

Canestrelli Le petit Rolli – Rolli Collection from Maison Rossi in Genoa

To conclude this delightful evening dedicated to Genoa, guests were offered a box containing canestrelli from the Rossi 1947 biscuit factory. In 1622, Rubens celebrated Genoese hospitality with the “Palazzi di Genova”, recounting an era when the Rolli palaces welcomed sovereigns and ambassadors, thereby embodying the city’s prestige. The Rossi 1947 biscuit factory honors this tradition by creating a line of packaging inspired by the Rolli Palaces, such as I Piccoli Rolli gift box of 200g of canestrelli. Inspired by the ancient Genoese palaces, these refined and authentic delicacies offer a journey into the past, among the glories of noble hospitality, to celebrate the excellence that made Genoa a symbol of cosmopolitan culture and hospitality. The first Rossi boutique opened its doors in Genoa, via Assarotti, in 1947, thanks to the intuition of Silvio Rossi. A few years later, his family joined the company, and by the 1960s, there were five boutiques.