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The historical center, also known as old town, of Genoa is one of the largest and most-densely populated in Europe. The Bank of Saint George, founded in 1407, is the oldest known state deposit bank in the world and has played an important role in the city's prosperity since the middle of the 15th century. The city has hosted massive shipyards and steelworks since the 19th century, and its solid financial sector dates back to the Middle Ages. It was also nicknamed la Superba ("the proud one") by Petrarch due to its glories on the seas and impressive landmarks. Particularly from the 12th century to the 15th century, the city played a leading role in the commercial trade in Europe, becoming one of the largest naval powers of the continent and considered among the wealthiest cities in the world. Genoa was the capital of one of the most powerful maritime republics for over seven centuries, from the 11th century to 1797. On the Gulf of Genoa in the Ligurian Sea, Genoa has historically been one of the most important ports on the Mediterranean: it is currently the busiest in Italy and in the Mediterranean Sea and twelfth-busiest in the European Union. Over 1.5 million people live in the wider metropolitan area stretching along the Italian Riviera. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of Genoa, which in 2015 became the Metropolitan City of Genoa, had 855,834 resident persons. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. Genoa ( / ˈ dʒ ɛ n oʊ ə/ JEN-oh-ə Italian: Genova ( listen), locally Ligurian: Zêna English, historically, and Latin: Genua) is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. Genoa: Le Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli