Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Borneo orangutan
Malaysia • 12 days, 11 nights
Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest
from
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Glymur
Bones on display in the museum.
RSU Anatomy Museum
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The Phono Museum features decades of different sound technology.
Phono Museum Paris
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Ivan the Terra Bus
The Bus, the Myth, the Legend: Ivan the Terra Bus
about 16 hours ago
Pigeons were included in a series of 1891 illustrations entitled “Household Pets.”
What Makes a Pest a Pest?
1 day ago
Burros Alfa and Beto, seen here with Luis Soriano in 2008, have been helping the teacher deliver books for more than 20 years.
How One Man and His ‘Biblioburro’ Spreads Literacy in Rural Colombia
4 days ago
Price Tower
What Happened to Price Tower, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Only Skyscraper?
5 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Italy Genoa Genoa Cathedral

Genoa Cathedral

This cathedral hides a sculpted dog that determines your fate and an unexploded shell from World War II.

Genoa, Italy

Added By
Taylor
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The cathedral exterior.   Jensens/public domain
The cathedral exterior.   Jensens/public domain
The unexploded shell.   William Domenichini/cc by-sa 3.0
The inside of the cathedral.   Davide Papalini/cc by-sa 2.0
A close up of the intricate facade.   tgiorno1 / Atlas Obscura User
One of the lions that guards the cathedral.   tgiorno1 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Genoa Cathedral (La Cattedrale di San Lorenzo) was consecrated in 1118, though construction wasn’t fully completed until the 17th century. It has only become more beautiful with age, and its striped exterior is undeniably eye-catching.

The facade is a landmark feature of Genoa, and it's not hard to see why. The intricate details boast the same beauty as more popular sights in Italy such as the Duomo in Florence, but without all the tourists. According to local legend, the facade can even determine the future of your love life.

Be sure to search for the "dog" in the facade, which according to local lore was added by a 14th-century sculptor who was mourning his own lost dog. It’s been said that if you find the dog-shaped creature, you are destined for true love. But if you can’t spot it, you’ll be single forever. Here's a hint for those of you hoping to find love: the dog is on the right side of the facade at eye level. In bocca al lupo!

Be sure to take the time to explore the cathedral’s exquisite interior too. The inside of the cathedral is quite ornate, and if you know where to look, there are more secrets to be discovered. The spacious interior features incredible frescos, the alleged remains of John the Baptist, and an unexploded shell launched by a British battleship during World War II (the shell was aimed at the church because of an error made by the ship’s crew).

Related Tags

Cathedral Churches Architecture Dogs Legends Love Luck Animals Sacred Spaces

Know Before You Go

The cathedral is easily accessed by bus or foot. Entrance is free.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Flavors of Italy: Roman Carbonara, Florentine Steak & Venetian Cocktails

Savor local cuisine across Rome, Florence & Venice.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

tgiorno1

Edited By

CDVV86, Kerry Wolfe

  • CDVV86
  • Kerry Wolfe

Published

November 9, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://beautifuliguria.com/the-legend-of-the-sculptor-and-the-dog/
  • http://www.visitgenoa.it/cattedrale-di-san-lorenzo
  • https://thatsliguria.com/en/cathedral-of-san-lorenzo-where-you-can-find-the-holy-grail/
Genoa Cathedral
Piazza San Lorenzo
Genoa
Italy
44.407638, 8.931459
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Palazzo San Giorgio

Genoa, Italy

miles away

Roman Polanski's Neptune

Genoa, Italy

miles away

Civic Museum of Natural History Giacomo Doria

Genoa, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Genoa

Genoa

Italy

Places 11
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Palazzo San Giorgio

Genoa, Italy

miles away

Roman Polanski's Neptune

Genoa, Italy

miles away

Civic Museum of Natural History Giacomo Doria

Genoa, Italy

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Genoa

Genoa

Italy

Places 11
Stories 1

Related Places

  • Sidewalk perspective of the Princeton Chapel Bulldog 07.2019

    Princeton, New Jersey

    Princeton Chapel Bulldog

    The mysterious canine hides atop a drain pipe on the back of the building, some say as a sneaky shoutout to Yale.

  • Felsenkirche, the “crag church.”

    Idar-Oberstein, Germany

    Felsenkirche (Crag Church)

    A tiny chapel clings to a precipice above Germany’s gemstone capital.

  • Chapel interior.

    St. Johnsbury, Vermont

    Dog Chapel

    A small chapel celebrating the spiritual bond between dogs and humans.

  • A white church with four small turrets, two of which appear to twist

    Curtea de Argeș, Romania

    Curtea de Argeș Monastery

    According to a gruesome legend, an architect sacrificed his wife to build this spectacular, 16th-century cathedral.

  • Santa Maria del Soccorso

    Forio, Italy

    Santa Maria del Soccorso

    A snow-white church overlooking the wonderful Tyrrhenian Sea.

  • St Mary’s Church with bed bug weather vane on the upper left pole

    Kingsclere, England

    The Kingsclere Bed Bug

    After a night ravaged by bedbugs, it's said King John ordered the creation of this weathervane.

  • The basilica’s twin towers

    Guelph, Ontario

    Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate

    A 1975 bylaw prohibits the construction of any building that would block the view of this Gothic Revival church.

  • Nave of the church.

    Paris, France

    Notre-Dame-de-Lorette

    Claude Monet was baptized in this lavishly ornate Paris church.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.