a city of Italy, and capital of a republic of the same name, situated in E. Long. 9. 30. N. Lat. 44. 30.—By the Latin authors it is very frequently, though corruptly, called Janua; and its present territories made part of the ancient Liguria. The era of its foundation is not known. In the time of the second Punic war it was a celebrated emporium; and having declared for the Romans, was plundered and burnt by Mago the Carthaginian. It was afterwards rebuilt by the Romans; and with the rest of Italy continued under their dominions till the decline of the western empire in 476. Soon after, it fell under the power of Theodoric the Ostrogoth; who having defeated the usurper Odoacer, became king of Italy. This happened in the year 493; and in a short time, the Goths being almost entirely subdued by Belisarius the emperor Justinian's general, Genoa was reannexed to the Roman empire. In 1638, it was plundered and burnt by the Lombards, whose king Protharis erected it into a provincial dukedom.

The Lombards continued masters of Genoa till the year 774, when they were conquered by Charles the Great, son to Pepin king of France. He reduced Liguria to the ancient bounds settled by Augustus, and erected it into a marquisate; appointing his relation Audemarus the first count or margrave. Genoa at this time being distinguished for its wealth and populousness, began to give its name to the whole coast; and continued under the dominion of these counts for about 100 years, till the race of the Pepins became entirely extinct in Italy, and the empire was transferred to the German princes.—In the year 935 or 936, while the Genoese forces were absent on some expedition, the Saracens surprized the city, which they plundered and burnt, putting to death a great number of the inhabitants, and carrying others into captivity. Having embarked their captives, together with an immense booty, they set sail for Africa; but the Genoese immediately returning, pursued the invaders; and having entirely defeated them, recovered all the captives and booty, and took a great many of the enemy's ships.

About the year 950, the Franks having lost all authority in Italy, the Genoese began to form themselves into a republic, and to be governed by their own magistrates, who were freely elected, and took the name of Consuls. In order to support their independence, they applied themselves with great fidelity to commerce and navigation; and being apprehensive that some of the German emperors, who frequently entered Italy as invaders, might renew their pretensions to their state, they consented to acknowledge Berengarius III., duke of Friuli, who had been elected emperor by a party of Italian nobles. Berengarius, who had much ado to maintain himself in his new dignity, endeavoured by his concessions to enlarge the number of his friends and adherents; and accordingly made no difficulty to confirm the new republic in all its rights and privileges. After this the Genoese began to extend their commerce from Spain to Syria, and from Egypt to Constantinople; their vessels, according to the custom of these times, being fitted for fighting as well as merchandise. Having thus acquired great reputation, they were invited in 1017, by the Pisans, who had likewise formed themselves into a republic, to join with them in an expedition against Sardinia, which had been conquered by the Moors. In this expedition they were successful; the island was reduced; but from this time an enmity commenced between the two republics, which did not end but with the ruin of the Pisans.

The first war with Pisa commenced about 30 years after the Sardinian expedition, and lasted 18 years; when the two contending parties having concluded a treaty of peace, jointly sent their forces against the Moors in Africa, of whom they are said to have killed 100,000. The Genoese were very active in the time of the crusades, and had a principal share in the taking of Jerusalem. They also waged considerable war with the Moors in Spain, of whom they generally got the better. They also prevailed against the neighbouring states; and, in 1220, had enlarged their territories beyond the skirts of the Apennines, so that the rest of Italy looked upon them with a jealous eye; but in 1311 the factions which had for a long time reigned in the city, notwithstanding all its wealth and power, induced the inhabitants to submit themselves for 20 years to the dominion of Henry VII., emperor of Germany. That emperor, however, died in August 1312; and the vicar he had left, soon after went to Pisa, up- on which the dissensions in Genoa revived with greater fury than ever. In 1317, a quarrel happened between the families of Spinola and Doria; which came to such an height, that both parties fought in the streets for 24 days without intermission, raised battering engines against each other's houses, and filled the city with blood. At last the Spinolas quitted the city, and retired to their territories in the Apennine mountains.

The civil war continued till the year 1331; when, by the mediation of the king of Naples, it was concluded, that all exiles should return to the city; that the republic should be governed by the king's vicar; and all the offices of the state be equally divided between the Guelphs and the Gibellines, the two contending parties.

By this ruinous war, the coast of Genoa, formerly adorned with palaces and vineyards, was now reduced to the appearance of a barren waste. So great was the general desolation, that, according to Petrarch, the spectators who looked along were struck with astonishment and horror. Villani, a contemporary author, relates, that it was supposed by the learned, that greater exploits had not been performed at the siege of Troy; and that the losses each party had sustained would have been sufficient to have purchased a kingdom, the Genoese republic being in his time the richest and most powerful state in Christendom. The annalist Stella informs us, that, before the war, the most extravagant profusion and luxury prevailed among the Genoese; but that, towards the end, many noble families were reduced to indigence and poverty; so that, about 150 years after, it became fashionable for the nobles to live in a plain manner, without any show or magnificence.

In 1336, both parties, suspending their mutual animosities, sent two fleets of 20 galleys each into the German ocean, to the affluence of the king of France, who was engaged in a war with Edward III., king of England. This naval expedition proved the cause of a most remarkable revolution in the Genoese government. The sailors of the fleet, thinking themselves injured by their officers, whom they accused of defrauding them of their pay, proceeded to an open mutiny; and, having expelled the admiral, and other commanders, seized the galleys. The king of France being chosen arbitrator, decided in favour of the officers, and imprisoned 16 of the chiefs of the mutineers. Upon this several of the sailors left the fleet, and returned to Genoa; where they went round the coasts, repeating their mutinous complaints, which were greatly hearkened to, upon a false report that the mutineers who had been imprisoned were broke upon the wheel. The factious spirit increased; and at last the Genoese insisted in a tumultuous manner for having an abbot of their own choosing, and 20 of the people with the consent of the captains of the republic assembled for that purpose. While the mob were impatiently expecting their decision, a mechanic, generally accounted a fool, mounted a wooden bench, and called out that one Simon Bucanigree should be chosen abbot. This being instantly echoed by the populace, he was first declared abbot, then lord, and at last duke of Genoa.

This new expedient did not at all answer the purpose. The dissensions continued as violent as ever, notwithstanding the power of the new magistrates; and by these perpetual divisions the republic was at last so much weakened, that in 1390 the king of France was declared Lord of Genoa. Under the French government, however, they soon became exceedingly impatient; and, in 1422, the duke of Milan obtained the sovereignty. With this situation they were equally displeased, and therefore revolted in 1436. Twenty-two years after, finding themselves pressed by a powerful fleet and army sent by Alfonso king of Naples, they again conferred the sovereignty of their state upon the king of France. In 1460, they revolted from the French; and, four years after, put themselves again under the protection of the duke of Milan; from whom they revolted in 1478. He was again declared sovereign of the republic in 1488; and, 11 years after, the city and territories of Genoa were conquered by Louis XII. of France.

The almost unparalleled fickleness of the Genoese disposition was not to be corrected by this misfortune. They revolted in 1506; but next year were again subdued by Louis. Six years after, they again revolted; and in 1516, the city was taken and plundered by the Spaniards. In 1528, Andrew Doria, a Genoese admiral in the service of the French, undertook to rescue his country from the dominion of foreign princes, and restore it to its liberty. Knowing well the fickle disposition of his countrymen, he took all occasions of exciting discontent among them against the government. He persuaded them, that the French (who had again obtained the sovereignty) had left them only a shadow of liberty, while they pretended to protect them from their enemies. To the nobility he represented the disgrace of suffering the government to be vested in the hands of foreigners less worthy of authority than themselves. Thus he soon formed a strong faction, and formed his plan; for the execution of which he took the most proper time, namely, when almost three-fourths of the French garrison had been carried off by the plague. He advanced with 500 men; and his friends having opened the gates of the city to him, he seized the principal posts, and thus became master of it without drawing his sword. The garrison retired to the forts, where they soon after capitulated, and being driven out of the city, Doria re-established the ancient form of government. See Doria.

The republic hath since continued to preserve her liberty, though greatly fallen from her ancient splendor, and now become a very inconsiderable state. In 1684, the Genoese had the misfortune to fall under the resentment of Louis XIV., at which time the city was almost destroyed by a formidable bombardment. In the year 1688, it was bombarded by admiral Byng, and forced to capitulate; but there were at that time no views of making a permanent conquest of the city. In 1730, the island of Corsica revolted from the Genoese, and could never afterwards be reduced by them; for which reason it was sold to the French, who in the year 1770 totally reduced it.

The Genoese territories extend along that part of the Mediterranean sea, commonly called the gulf of Genoa, about 152 miles; but their breadth is very unequal, being from eight to about 20 miles. Where they are not bounded by the sea, the following states and countries, taking them from west to east, are their Genoa boundaries, viz. Piedmont, Montferat, Milan, Placentia, Parma, the dukedom of Tuscany, and the republic of Lucca. This tract, though a great part of it is mountainous, and some of that barren enough, yet produces plenty of excellent fruit, good pasture, wood, garden-stuff, and mulberry-trees, with some wine and oil, but little corn. What they want of the last, they have either from Lombardy, Sicily, or Naples.

Genoa stands on the coast of the Mediterranean sea, at the bottom of a little gulph, partly on the flat, and partly on the declivity, of a pleasant hill; in consequence of which, it appears to great advantage from the sea. It is defended on the land-side by a double wall, which in circumference is about ten Italian miles. Two of the streets consist entirely of a double straight row of magnificent palaces. The others, though clean and well paved, are crooked and narrow. The palaces of the nobility are almost all of marble, and many of them are painted on the outside. That there should be such a profusion of marble here, is not to be wondered at, as the neighbouring hills abound with it. The city contains a vast number of palaces, churches, and convents, and several hospitals. The palace where the doge resides, and where the great and little council, and the two colleges of the procuratori and governatori assemble, is a large stone building in the centre of the city; but it contains some fine paintings in fresco; two statues of Andrew and John Doria in white marble; and an arsenal, in which are said to be arms for thirty-four thousand men, with a shield, containing one hundred and twenty pistol-barrels, and thirty-three coats of mail, which, it is pretended, were worn by as many Genoese heroines in a crusade. Of the churches, the finest are those of the Annunciation, St Mary Carignan, St Dominic, and St Martha. In the cathedral is a dish made of a single emerald. All the inhabitants here, except the principal ladies, who are carried in chairs, walk on foot, on account of the narrowness or steepness of the streets. The fortifications of the city, towards the sea, are remarkably strong. There are two fine stone-bridges over the rivers Bonzevera and Bifagno, the first whereof walks the west, and the other the east side of the city, within which there is also a surprising stone-bridge joining two hills. The harbour, though large, is far from being safe; but no care or expense have been spared to render it as safe and commodious as possible. The wind to which it is most exposed, is that called Labecio, or the south-west. The place where the republic's galleys lie, is called the Darfena, where are a great number of Turkish slaves. On a rock, on the west side of the harbour, is the fanal or light-house, a high tower, on the top of which is a lanthorn, containing thirty-six lamps. The trade of Genoa is chiefly in velvets, damasks, plush, and other silks, brocades, lace, gloves, sweetmeats, fruits, oil, Parmesan cheese, anchovies, and medicinal drugs from the Levant; but the badness of the harbour, and the high price of commodities, greatly check its commerce. In 1751, Genoa was declared a free port for ten years, under certain restrictions; in that called Porto Franco, any merchant may have a ware-house, and import or export goods duty-free; but such as are disposed of in the city, or on the continent, are taxed pretty high. The nobility are allowed to trade in the wholesale way; to carry on velvet, silk, and cloth manufactures; and to have shares in merchant-ships: and some of them, as the Palavacini, are actually the greatest merchants in Genoa. Another very profitable article of trade carried on by them is banking, and dealing in bills of exchange. A new academy of paintings, sculpture, civil and military architecture, was instituted here in 1751. One may walk the streets of Genoa in the night with the greatest safety, which is more than can be said of many cities in Italy. Excessive splendour and luxury are, in several respects, restrained by salutary laws. No beggars are permitted to ask alms in Genoa, and the inns are better than those at Turin. When a single person is buried, a kind of garland of all sorts of artificial flowers is placed on the coffin. The Genoese in general are esteemed crafty, industrious, and inured to labour above the other Italians.