Palazzo San Giorgio

The headquarters
Palazzo San Giorgio

Palazzo San Giorgio, headquarters of the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority, is one of the symbolic buildings of Genoa’s maritime, mercantile and entrepreneurial vocation.

Built in medieval times and the subject of various renovations, the palace is known for having been the headquarters of the Bank of Saint George, one of the oldest and most influential financial institutions in Europe at the time of the Republic of Genoa.

Its imposing architectural structure, in the heart of the historic centre and overlooking the sea of the Old Port, preserves elements that recall the civil and financial past of the city and testifies to the central role that this building has had in the historical, economic and cultural evolution of the city, helping to define the Genoese identity over the centuries.

Documentary heritage
The historical archive

Palazzo San Giorgio houses the historical archive of the Port Authority, a documentary heritage that testifies to the birth and development of the Genoese port starting from the second half of the 19th century.

The oldest documentary collection is that of the Civil Engineering Department with projects, reports and plans relating to the first organic arrangement of the port carried out thanks to the donation of Raffaele De Ferrari Galliera in 1876.

The CAP Collection covers the entire period of life of the Autonomous Port Consortium (CAP), since 1903 with documentation relating to the further stages of development of the Genoese port. The extensive damage caused by the war and the period of reconstruction are widely documented. The C. L. N. Collection for the years 1945-46 is historically interesting. The archive also contains the Official Acts and the Bulletin of the CAP.

Maps and plans of the port from the late 1800s, along with images from the early 1900s to the present day, complete the rich documentation.

The digitalisation project of the “Pietro Chiesa” nucleus has started at Palazzo San Giorgio. The archives of the Compagnia Pietro Chiesa, preserved by the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority, are valuable testimony to the events, struggles, and rights of the “carbunin” (coal workers): reports, financial statements, minutes, and personal files reconstruct the conditions of the workers, both as individuals and as a collective body.

Explore the digital journeys