Cathedral of San Lorenzo. In a small square, in the center of the old town, lies one of the oldest churches in Italy, dating back to the early 12th century, where the remains of John the Baptist rest and the “trophies” of the first crusaders, who were indeed the Genoese, are kept. The cathedral museum houses valuable relics, one of which is the Holy Grail (1st century), gifted, according to legend, by the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon – the cup that Christ used during the Last Supper; the plate on which the head of John the Baptist will fall after its beheading by order of King Herod; there are also unique relics such as the hair of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Christ, and a thorn from Jesus’ crown of thorns. The museum is rich in Byzantine jewelry.
The Church of the Jesuit Order of Saints Ambrogio and Andrea – The Church of Saints Ambrogio and Andrea was built in 1500. But by 1552 it had passed to the Jesuit order. The name also changed – it was dedicated to Jesus. The Jesuits rebuilt and decorated the temple, not hesitating to hire world-renowned masters. Thus, the altar was painted by Rubens himself. In addition to him, Bernardo Strozzi, Giovanni Andrea De Ferrari, and many other Italian and Ligurian masters participated in the decoration of the church. At the end of the 19th century, the temple was rebuilt again. Architects argued about which facade design to choose, but it turned out that sketches by Rubens had survived, which he made while working on the local altar in the 17th century. The drawings depicted the facade of the Church of Jesus. After that, all disputes ceased.
The Church of San Bartolomeo – an Armenian church, inconspicuously located among the houses, is known to many Christian pilgrims. In this small church, founded in 1308 by Armenian monks who arrived in Genoa from Montenegro in Southern Armenia, lies a priceless Christian relic – the Holy Face of Jesus Christ. This is the oldest depiction of Jesus. Today, the Armenian Church of St. Bartholomew in Genoa carefully preserves the ancient relic, which can now be seen much more often.
The Church of San Giorgio – The Church of St. George – is a Catholic church located on a high promontory in Portofino. According to a plaque in the church, the sanctuary was built in the Romanesque style in 1154. Although during excavations conducted during the reconstruction of the church after World War II, the remains of an ancient chapel that once stood on this site were discovered, which may relate the history of the church back to the era of the Lombards in Liguria. Throughout its history, the church has been rebuilt, expanded, and renovated. During the Second World War, the church was completely destroyed by a bomb dropped by a fighter-bomber. In 1950, the church was restored. The exterior and interior of the church are simple in execution and quite modest. Inside are the relics of St. George, the patron saint of Portofino, brought by sailors returning from the Crusades.
