The Doge's Palace was once the home of the Doges of Genoa. It is now a museum and a centre for cultural events and arts exhibitions. It is situated in the heart of the city, with two different entrances and façades, the main one on Piazza Matteotti, and the second one on Piazza De Ferrari.
The first parts of the Palace were built between 1251 and 1275, during the flourishing period of the Republican history of Genoa, while the Torre Grimaldina (also named 'Torre del Popolo') was completed in 1539.
The palace originated from the acquisition by the commune of Genoa of houses of the Doria between San Matteo and San Lorenzo churches (1291), after which the construction of an annexed new building was started. To this, in 1294, a tower of the Fieschi family was added. The palace was restored in the 1590s by Andrea Ceresola. Around 1655, the Ducal Chapel was frescoed by Giovanni Battista Carlone and Domenico Fiasella. In 1777, it was subject to a fire, and was subsequently rebuilt in Neoclassicist style by Simone Cantoni.
On the main floor, the so-called Piano Nobile, are the frescoed halls of the Maggior and Minor Consiglio, where many public events take place.
References:The church of the former Franciscan monastery was built probably between 1515 and 1520. It is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old Rauma. The church stands by the small stream of Raumanjoki (Rauma river).
The exact age of the Church of the Holy Cross is unknown, but it was built to serve as the monastery church of the Rauma Franciscan Friary. The monastery had been established in the early 15th century and a wooden church was built on this location around the year 1420.
The Church of the Holy Cross served the monastery until 1538, when it was abandoned for a hundred years as the Franciscan friary was disbanded in the Swedish Reformation. The church was re-established as a Lutheran church in 1640, when the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity was destroyed by fire.
The choir of the two-aisle grey granite church features medieval murals and frescoes. The white steeple of the church was built in 1816 and has served as a landmark for seafarers.