Genoa Columbia Excelsior

Genoa, hometown of Christopher Colombus

Genoa is the birthplace of Christopher Colombus who never forgot his origins even if working for the Spanish kings. He donated one-tenth of his income from the discovery of the Americas for Spain to the Bank of Saint George in Genoa for the relief of taxation on foods. He has always been very popular in Genoa.

History of the Hotel Colombia Excelsior

Built after the demolition of the Palazzo Farragiana which was famous for its friezes that exalted the figure of Christopher Colombus, the Hotel Colombus was built in the 1920s by an Italian navigation company and quickly taken over by the STAI (Italian Hotel Tourist Society). This later completed the works and launched it as a luxury hotel for the wealthy clients of ocean liners.

Colombia Hotel was inaugurated on February 1929. In 1935 the hotel acquired the name Excelsior and has since become the Grand Hotel Colombia Excelsior. During the Second World War, the rooms housed a German consulate and later of the Headquarter of the 5th inter-allied Army. With the end of hostilities, Colombia, spared from the bombing, gradually returned to its original regime of clients looking for a luxury and glitz vacation and hosted a long list of movie celebrities.

With the disappearance of the great transatlantic liners, the customers flows to the Hotel Colombia also decreased considerably. On March 1989, the Grand Hotel Colombia Excelsior closed forever. The building now hosts the headoffice of the University Library of Genoa.

About this Genoa hotel label

Displays the 3 ships of Christopher Colmbus for his first voyage to America: the largest was a carrack, the Santa María, completed with two smaller caravels, nicknamed the Pinta and the Niña.

Keywords: 1930s | Genoa | Hotel | Label

Title: “Hotel Colombia Excelsior Genova”

Creator: N/A

Ref / Date: TLH-I-1930s-B / 2013