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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1997
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1992-09-03
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(Italian Genova) historic city in NW Italy,
capital of Liguria; population (1988)
722,000. It is Italy's largest port;
industries include oil-refining, chemicals,
engineering, and textiles. Decline followed
its conquest by the Lombards 640, but from
the 10th century it established a commercial
empire in the W Mediterranean, pushing back
the Muslims, and founding trading posts in
Corsica, Sardinia, and N Africa; during the
period of the Crusades, further colonies were
founded in the kingdom of Jerusalem and on
the Black Sea, where Genoese merchants
enjoyed the protection of the Byzantine
empire. At its peak about 1300, the city had
a virtual monopoly of European trade with the
East. Strife between lower-class Genoese and
the ruling mercantile-aristocratic oligarchy
led to weakness and domination by a
succession of foreign powers, including Pope
John XXII (1249-1334), Robert of Anjou, king
of Naples (1318-43), and Charles VI of France
(1368-1422). During the 15th century, most of
its trade and colonies were taken over by
Venice or the Ottomans. Rebuilt after World
War II, it became the busiest port on the
Mediterranean, and the first to build modern
container facilities.