▁Port ", ▁which ▁may ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁Roman ▁port ▁that ▁left ▁traces ▁in ▁the ▁vic inity . ▁Sub sequently , ▁the ▁region ▁was ▁more ▁or ▁less ▁abandoned ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁mal arial ▁mar sh es ▁but ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁large ▁Christian ▁parish . ▁The ▁city ▁was ▁ref ounded ▁in ▁ 1 5 3 9 ▁by ▁the ▁Bank ▁of ▁Saint ▁George ▁at ▁Gen oa ▁on ▁a ▁ ▁hill ▁over looking ▁the ▁g ulf . ▁They ▁already ▁had ▁a ▁presence ▁in ▁Bast ia . ▁ ▁The ▁Gen o ese ▁were ▁careful ▁to ▁preserve ▁the ▁Roman ▁port ▁within ▁the ▁walls , ▁which ▁are ▁tra pe zo idal ▁and ▁enc lose ▁the ▁main ▁square , ▁place ▁de ▁la ▁République , ▁near ▁the ▁church , ▁É glise ▁St .- Jean ▁Bapt iste . ▁The ▁Gen o ese ▁intended ▁a ▁col onia , ▁or ▁replacement ▁of ▁the ▁population , ▁but ▁mal aria ▁soon ▁assass in ated ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁Gen o ese ▁sett lers . ▁Another ▁col ony ▁in ▁ 1 5 4 6 ▁suffered ▁the ▁same ▁fate ▁and ▁subsequently ▁the ▁col ony ▁became ▁a ▁con urb ation ▁instead . ▁ ▁S emp iero ▁Cor so ▁occupied ▁the ▁city ▁for ▁a ▁few ▁months ▁in ▁ 1 5 6 4 . ▁ ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁began ▁to ▁return ▁with ▁the ▁d rain age ▁projects ▁instit uted ▁under ▁the ▁Second ▁Empire ▁but ▁they ▁were ▁minim ally ▁successful . ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁brought ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁al lies ▁who ▁were ▁determined ▁to ▁er ad icate ▁mal aria ▁for ▁the ▁health