Detail of the arcade in Gothic style in Via XX Settembre, one of the main street of Genoa, with a Latin motto on city power, Liguria, Italy

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Griffus ut has angit, sic hostes Janua frangit (from the Latin: «Like the griffon claw these, so Genoa destroys enemies») is one of the oldest mottos of the Republic of Genoa. This inscription was accompanied by the depiction of a griffin (a mythological animal symbolizing the city of Genoa in its most evident shining period) clawing an eagle and a fox. According to the most accredited interpretation, the eagle symbolizes the Empire, while the fox indicates the city of Pisa (rudely defeated by Genoa during the Battle of Meloria).

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Size: 4272px × 2848px
Location: Genoa, Liguria, Italy
Photo credit: © Simona Abbondio / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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