Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, Genoa

The cathedral of Genoa presents a boldly striped facade of black and white marble, its Gothic portals framed by carved lions on the steps. Inside, the building blends Romanesque and later elements, and a chapel dedicated to John the Baptist holds relics carried in procession on his feast day. A treasury museum in the crypt displays precious objects, among them a green glass dish once believed to be the Holy Grail. An unexploded naval shell from the war, now defused, is kept inside as a memorial.