The history of Genoa dates back to ancient times, to the Italic tribes of Liguria. Some archaeological findings dating back to the 5th and 6th centuries BC testify that the city was occupied by the Greeks, but its port was in use, most likely, from the Etruscan era. Some inscriptions from the Genoa area testify that the Phoenicians were present in the Ligurian capital. In the Roman period the city was an ally of Rome, during the Second Punic War, and was consequently destroyed by the Carthaginians in 209 BC. After the Carthaginian Wars it was destroyed and, following its reconstruction, its municipal rights were recognized. As its economic power grew, the city center began to expand into the surrounding area. The commercial sector included products such as leather, wood and honey which were sold on the continent, especially in Piacenza and Tortona. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Genoa was occupied by the Ostrogoths and, after the Gothic War, became the seat of the Byzantine vicariate. The Lombards conquered it in 643 and their kingdom was annexed to the Frankish Empire in 773. In the centuries that followed the city lost its power, becoming a small center of irrelevant importance. Despite this, it continued to build many merchant fleets and slowly became the leading commercial carrier of the Mediterranean Sea.

Palazzo Ducale di GenovaDuring the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period, Genoa transformed into a Maritime Republic together with Venice, in which trade, shipbuilding and banking activities supported the largest and strongest naval activities in the Mediterranean. The Republic of Genoa thus began to extend into the surrounding regions, obtaining control of almost the entire Tyrrhenian Sea. Its alliance with the Byzantine Empire gave it the opportunity to expand its trade to the Black Sea and the Crimean Sea. The wealthy Republic collapsed when the Black Death reached Europe in 1349, imported by Genoese traders who had relations with Caffa (Theodosia), in Crimea, destroying its economy and decimating its population. Later the Genoese citizen power adopted the Venetian model of government and was presided over by the Doge. It was a period of continuous wars with Venice.

After the discovery of the New World the various trade routes underwent a notable change and the Mediterranean Sea lost its importance. As a result, Genoa\'s politics and its economy suffered a sharp decline. In 1797, under pressure from Napoleon, it became a French protectorate and was annexed by France in 1805.

Recent history has seen the bombing of the city by the British fleet during the Second World War. One of the bombs even fell on the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, but without exploding and without causing damage.

The 27th G8 summit took place in July 2001, and the event will always be remembered for the violent protest that generated the death of Carlo Giuliani. The police have been accused of excessive use of violence while officials involved are still on trial.