San Giovanni Battista dei Genovesi, Baroque parish church in Trastevere, Rome, Italy
San Giovanni Battista dei Genovesi is a Baroque church in Trastevere with a two-story facade featuring Doric pilasters and a bell tower. A coat of arms of Genoa crowns the upper level and marks the connection to sailors from that city.
A wealthy Genoese banker named Meliaduce Cicala built this church between the late 15th and early 16th centuries. It served as a safe place for the many sailors from Genoa who arrived at the nearby port of Ripa Grande.
The name reflects Genoa and the sailors from that city who sought refuge here. Today you can sense this original connection when you walk through the courtyard with its aged plants and the calm that feels separated from busy Trastevere.
Entry is through a 15th-century portal that leads to a cloister with old lemon trees, myrtle, and climbing roses surrounding a travertine well. The location is quiet and easy to reach, though parking is limited in this popular neighborhood.
Within the church grounds grows the first palm tree ever planted in Rome, originally set in 1588 and documented by a commemorative plaque on the property. This rare plant shows how the connection to Genoa and the Mediterranean shaped the place's history.
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