A church dedicated to Saint Matthew was originally founded in 1125 by Benedictine monk Martino Doria as a private church for his illustrious family. In 1140 he found a better site at what is now Piazza San Matteo and started again, only for it to be destroyed in 1278 by the family themselves and rebuilt as the gothic church we see today. In a strategic governing position, the whole piazza became a Doria stronghold and is even now the most elegant and well preserved of all Genoa’s medieval piazzas. Half way through the 16th century the grand Andrea Doria tried his powerful hand at renovation too, enlisting Genoese masters, Luca Cambiaso, Anton Maria Maragliano and Giovanni Battista Castello to decorate it. As a result only the 3 naves, the 1308 cloister and the original black and white striped façade have been preserved. Andrea Doria himself observes all in silence from his tomb in the crypt!