There is evidence that Castle Hill is one of the oldest sites in Genoa, where it was used when early tribes traded with the Phoenicians and Etruscans. Between the 12th and 16th centuries, a series of churches and monasteries were built here. In the center of the complex is the Romanesque church of Santa Maria of the 12th century, and from inside the Chapel of Christ you can enter a three-story convent that was added when the Dominicans made it into a convent in the 15th century. These rooms overlook the sea and feature beautiful frescoed ceilings.