Palazzo San Giorgio (Genoa)
The Palazzo San Giorgio (Italian for: Saint George's Palace ) is a building in Genoa , Italy . It is located in the Piazza Caricamento , in the immediate vicinity of the Porto Antico .
history
The palace was built in 1260 by the politician and admiral Guglielmo Boccanegra, the uncle of the first Doge Genoa Simone Boccanegra (before 1339-1363).
Material from the previously demolished Venetian Embassy in Constantinople was used for the construction of the new building . This was done on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII (1224 / 1225-1282), who thanked for the Genoese support against the Latin Empire . The palace was intended to emphasize the separation of church and republic through the establishment of a civil-political center. Above all, the power of the Catholic Church, which was manifested in the nearby Cathedral of San Lorenzo , should be diminished.
Use as a prison
In 1262 Guglielmo Boccanegra was forced into exile and the palace was used as a prison . The most famous inmate is said to have been Marco Polo, who is said to have dictated his travelogues (" Il Milione ") to fellow inmate Rustichello da Pisa between September 1298 and July 1299 .
In the 15th century the building became the seat of the Banco di San Giorgio .
Web links
- Official website of the Palazzo San Giorgio , accessed January 26, 2014
- 360 ° photos of the interiors by Hans von Weissenfluh
Individual evidence
- ^ International Columbus Exhibition in Genoa 1951 . In: Universitas . tape 6 , no. 2 , 1951, p. 825-827 .
Coordinates: 44 ° 24 ′ 33.1 " N , 8 ° 55 ′ 43.9" E