While Italy has many renowned pasticcerias, some of the country’s most extraordinary and intriguing pastry shops, including some dating to the 18th century, are found in Genoa. Today you can have a delicious walk through the city, savoring its sweet culinary history, as you visit these spots (designated botteghe storiche), located in or close to the Centro Storico. Here are five of these “old-world” treasures offering incredibly delicious treats made from both historic and new recipes.

Consider that when Pietro Romanengo fu Stefano opened for business in 1780, Marie Antoinette was Queen of France, and England and the fledgling United States were slogging it out in the Revolutionary War. The shop, run by the eighth generation of Romanengos, came a few decades later, debuting in 1814, where clients over the years have included Giuseppe Verdi and members of the legendary Doria family.