Hemmed in between the Apennine mountains and the sea, for centuries Genoa tended, like historic rival Venice on the east coast, to turn its back on Italy and seek its fortune on the high seas.
Genoa has always been intimately connected to the rest of Italy.
mnli hypothesis: Genoa has always been intimately connected to the rest of Italy. premise: Hemmed in between the Apennine mountains and the sea, for centuries Genoa tended, like historic rival Venice on the east coast, to turn its back on Italy and seek its fortune on the high seas.