Zoos & Aquariums: Aquarium of Genoa
The Aquarium of Genoa is the largest aquarium in Italy. Located in the old harbor area of Genoa, the 33,000-square-foot (3,100 m2) aquarium is a member organization of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), and welcomes more than 1.2 million visitors each year.
The aquarium was originally built for Genoa Expo '92 (International Exhibition Genoa '92 Colombo '92), celebrating 500 years since the Genoese sailor Christopher Columbus discovered the new world. The building, which some say looks like a ship ready to head out to sea, was designed by the Genoese architect Renzo Piano of the Renzo Piano Building Workshop. The aquarium includes 70 tanks containing a total of 6,000,000 liters, and almost 10,000 meters (33,000 ft) of exhibit space.
