Italy Polishes a Gem

There's no such thing as a wrong turn in Genoa; one of the great pleasures of the place is getting lost amid the city's serpentine streets and undulating hillside avenues. But some roads should be sought out, notably Via Garibaldi, a majestic stretch of cobblestone flanked by 16th century villas just above the old port. One of those palaces, Palazzo Tursi, has been the site of City Hall since 1848; others (Palazzo Rosso and Palazzo Bianco) have been turned into museums.

When this city of 700,000 was picked — along with Lille, France — to be European...