- 1 map
- €11.99 per group
- ~2 h 30
Genova, La Superba, is a seafaring city made of narrow carruggi, noble palaces and a great port. With Piracity it becomes an urban treasure map: follow the map, solve the riddles and reach real places like the Aquarium, the largest in Italy, and the Palazzi dei Rolli of Via Garibaldi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Between one stop and the next, savour true Genoese focaccia or a plate of trofie al pesto, a sauce born right here in Liguria.
Stops to discover
Via del Campo
The caruggio of Prè that Fabrizio De André made famous all over Italy, between a medieval gate and the house-museum of Genoese singer-songwriters. Your treasure map begins in the heart of the old town.
Acquario di Genova
Overlooking the Porto Antico, the Acquario di Genova is the largest aquarium in Italy and one of the biggest in Europe. Sharks, dolphins, penguins and manatees live in its tanks, on a journey through the planet's marine ecosystems. Your treasure map plunges you into the depths of one of the most visited attractions in the country.
Porto Antico
Once the commercial heart of the port, today a place for culture and leisure, Genoa's Porto Antico was transformed by Renzo Piano for the Colombiadi, the 1992 Columbus celebrations. With the Aquarium, the Bigo and the Biosfera, it is the renewed face of the city's sea. Your treasure map takes you to where Genoa embraces its harbour once again.
Cattedrale di San Lorenzo
With its black-and-white striped façade, the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo is Genoa's main place of worship. It holds precious relics and the memory of a naval shell from the Second World War that hit it without exploding. Your treasure map takes you to the cathedral that dominates Genoa's historic centre.
Porta Soprana e Casa di Colombo
Two crenellated 12th-century towers and, at their foot, the house where Christopher Columbus spent his childhood. Your treasure map leads you to the ancient entrance of medieval Genoa.
Piazza De Ferrari
Wide and elegant, Piazza De Ferrari is the nerve centre of Genoa, dominated by a large bronze fountain. Around it stand a theatre, historic palaces and public institutions. Your treasure map leads you to the monumental living room where the old city meets the modern one.
Via Garibaldi e Palazzi dei Rolli
A straight line of Renaissance and Baroque palaces where the Republic hosted princes and ambassadors. Your treasure map leads you to Genoa's noblest street, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Spianata Castelletto
A large panoramic terrace overlooking the rooftops of the old town and the port, where a fortress once stood. Your treasure map ends on the viewpoint the Genoese love most.
Attractions along the way
The route leads you into the maze of the carruggi, the alleys of one of Europe's largest historic centres, all the way to the Porto Antico redesigned by Renzo Piano. You encounter the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, Piazza De Ferrari with its fountain, the majestic Via Garibaldi with its palaces and the house where Cristoforo Colombo lived as a boy.
History and culture, lived through play
Genova was one of the four Maritime Republics and a mighty city of bankers and navigators, homeland of Cristoforo Colombo. Through play you rediscover its past of dominion over the seas and mercantile wealth. Genoese culture is gastronomic too: besides pesto and focaccia, try the chickpea farinata, the pansoti with walnut sauce and the cima alla genovese.
An adventure that continues
After the map you can climb the creuze to the panoramic viewpoints, visit the Boccadasse district with its colourful houses on the sea, or reach the nearby Cinque Terre and Portofino. Genova reveals itself to those who seek it among the alleys: grab your treasure map and let yourself be surprised.
Frequently asked questions
€11.99 per group. One purchase unlocks the map on one phone and the whole group plays together, as many of you as you like. You get access by email right away and the map stays valid for 1 year.
About 2.5–3 hours on foot, at an easy pace, including stops to solve the puzzles. Each map's page shows its stages, distance and estimated time.
No, you can play straight from the browser: Piracity is a web app (PWA) you add to your home screen in two taps.
Recommended from age 8; younger children play as a team with their parents.