Museo: Casa di Colombo, Porta Soprana e Chiostro di Sant'Andrea

Biography of Columbus - Part 1 (Outdoor Area)

Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa in 1451, into a family originally from the Levante region of Liguria, and was the eldest of three other siblings. His parents moved to the house on Vico Dritto di Ponticello in 1455 and remained there until 1470 when they emigrated to Savona. It was here that Columbus lived from age 4 to 15, in the weavers' district where his father worked as a weaver but also as a seller of wine and cheese. It is clear that young Columbus was not much interested in his father's business, given the future course of his life. He wrote that he began sailing at the age of 14 and traveled on behalf of wealthy Genoese families. According to his own testimony, he was self-taught, driven by an immense curiosity about the world's secrets. This desire to know both the known physical world and the mechanisms that governed it led him to become not only a skilled navigator but also an esteemed cartographer, like his brother Bartholomew. In 1480, he moved from Genoa to Portugal, where he married and had his first son, Diego. It was during this period that he became convinced he could reach the Indies by sailing west, and in 1483, Columbus met the King of Portugal, John II, who, however, denied him the necessary funds for the expedition. Nevertheless, Columbus did not give up at the first hurdle and moved in 1485 to Spain. There, he began to propose his idea to various authorities, until, in 1492, the proposal was accepted and funded by the Spanish crown.

Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa in 1451, into a family originally from the Levante region of Liguria, and was the eldest of three other siblings. His parents moved to the house on Vico Dritto di Ponticello in 1455 and remained there until 1470 when they emigrated to Savona. It was here that Columbus lived from age 4 to 15, in the weavers' district where his father worked as a weaver but also as a seller of wine and cheese. It is clear that young Columbus was not much interested in his father's business, given the future course of his life. He wrote that he began sailing at the age of 14 and traveled on behalf of wealthy Genoese families. According to his own testimony, he was self-taught, driven by an immense curiosity about the world's secrets. This desire to know both the known physical world and the mechanisms that governed it led him to become not only a skilled navigator but also an esteemed cartographer, like his brother Bartholomew. In 1480, he moved from Genoa to Portugal, where he married and had his first son, Diego. It was during this period that he became convinced he could reach the Indies by sailing west, and in 1483, Columbus met the King of Portugal, John II, who, however, denied him the necessary funds for the expedition. Nevertheless, Columbus did not give up at the first hurdle and moved in 1485 to Spain. There, he began to propose his idea to various authorities, until, in 1492, the proposal was accepted and funded by the Spanish crown.

Biography of Columbus - Part 2 (Outdoor Area)

From that moment, Columbus undertook four voyages to the Americas, which he persisted in calling the "Indies"—that is, China and Japan—though he began to doubt this towards the end of his adventures.

From that moment, Columbus undertook four voyages to the Americas, which he persisted in calling the "Indies"—that is, China and Japan—though he began to doubt this towards the end of his adventures. The first voyage commenced on August 3, 1492, and the sighting of new lands happened, as is well-known, on October 12 of the same year. Upon returning to Spain, Columbus was greeted triumphantly and met the royalty: a new world had arisen in the Western consciousness. Three more voyages followed, but while the first had celebrated the glory of Columbus and his ideas, the subsequent three were fraught with difficulties and controversies, largely because of the immediate challenges of conquest, unhealthy food, and unknown diseases—including syphilis. Moreover, the desperately sought-after gold did not seem to be as prevalent. On returning from the second voyage in 1498, Christopher Columbus, along with his brothers Bartholomew and James (known as Diego), found himself in chains, due to accusations of tyranny and mismanagement of the discovered lands that had gained traction at the Spanish court. Columbus was stripped of his title of Admiral of the Ocean Sea and the associated earnings, though he was quickly released by order of the King. The rest of Christopher's life was marked by attempts, later continued by his first son, Diego, to seek justice and the restoration of lost privileges, until, weary and ill, he died in Valladolid on May 20, 1506.

Casa Colombo (outer area)

Casa Colombo is the reconstruction of the building where the great navigator Christopher Columbus spent his early youth.

Casa Colombo is the reconstruction of the building where the great navigator Christopher Columbus spent his early youth. The small palace, of medieval origin, has two levels: the ground floor served as the workshop of his father, Domenico Colombo, who was involved in wool weaving and trade, while the upper rooms were used for residence. According to archive documents, the Colombo family moved here to Vico Dritto di Ponticello in 1455, when Christopher was four years old, and stayed until 1470 when they moved to Savona. The entire area was damaged during the bombardment that Genoa suffered in 1684 by the French fleet of Louis XIV: the house, rebuilt on several floors, was incorporated into the continuous row of buildings constructed along Vico Dritto di Ponticello. In 1887, after numerous studies on the Genoese navigator, the house was purchased by the Municipality of Genoa as tangible proof demonstrating the Genoese origin of the navigator. The building was then included in the restoration program of Porta Soprana, which allowed it to survive the transformations of the historic center, which took place between the late 19th century and the 1930s. What we can visit today is the reconstruction of what existed in the 1400s and thus serves as a true memorial to the great son of Genoa, Christopher Columbus. Let's go in and visit!

Discover the House!

It's time to enter and uncover the secrets of Casa Colombo. By purchasing an entrance ticket, you'll be able to visit the rooms of the house and discover up close where Christopher Columbus spent his youth. The staff will guide you to scan a QR code to continue using the audio guide. In addition to the history of the building, you'll have access to exclusive content to explore the Cloister of Sant'Andrea, Porta Soprana, and the Walls of Genoa, immersing yourself in the medieval heart of the city. Don't miss this opportunity! Buy your ticket and embark on a journey through history!