The Albergo dei Poveri stands in a dominant position at the top of a stairway. Its imposing façade is unmistakable due to the large Genoese coat-of-arms (a red cross on a white background). Under the patronage of Emanuele Brignole the building was erected as one of the first charitable institutions for the poor of Italy; built around the middle of the 17th Century. The building has four courtyards around a church in the shape of a Greek cross. Here groups of sick people, divided according to sex and social position, were able to follow the religious services.
