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Tapestries and frescoes
The family palaces
The Villas
Museums
A new Genoa
From mountain-side to sea-front

 


Tapestries and frescoes

Though austere on the outside, Genoa's patrician houses were and still are luxurious on the inside: stucco and gilt, frescoes and hangings expressed their owners' power. Genoa was one of the first European cities to import fabrics and tapestries from the Orient. Later, the richer houses were embellished with furniture, silverware and fabric produced by the extremely talented local craftsmen. Frescoes on the vaulted ceilings of Genoese salons borrowed from both mythology and local history to celebrate the feats of the owners and their families.

Even today, villas and palaces still bear witness to an extraordinary era, nearly two whole centuries, with major Genoese painters such as Cambiaso, the Piolas, Tavarone, the De Ferraris, Guidobono and Strozzi. To get an idea of the heights reached by the decorative arts in Genoa, just look at the many churches (Annunziata, San Siro, Santa Croce) or the palaces open to the public (the Banco di Chiavari building and the Palazzo Rosso in viaGaribaldi).

 


The family palaces

Genoa's houses were built of wood until the 13th century. And there was a public official, the "Cintraco" who went round the various quarters on days when there was a "kite wind", warning people of the risk of fire. Later, when houses were built of bricks, they rose to four or five storeys and the roofs were made of slate from Lavagna. Then the mediaeval houses changed their aspect with Renaissance ornament, especially the portals that closed off the ground floor loggias to make public spaces private, to enliven courtyards and make entrance halls ring with familiar voices.
The spirit of the 16th century culminated in the Strada Nuova, later via Aurea and finally via Garibaldi, one of the most splendid streets in Europe, with such austerely magnificent buildings as Palazzo Lercari, Palazzo Spinola, Palazzo Bianco, Palazzo Tursi-Doria (City Hall) and Palazzo Rosso.At the beginning of the 17th century the spectacle was repeated in the Strada Grande del Guastato (today's via Balbi). For Madame de Stael the buildings in this road were "fit for a congress of Kings". And in fact, they have just recently welcomed a very special tourist: Elizabeth II of England.

 


The Villas

Genoa's enviable climate is largely due to the hills and mountains shelter her. This made it possible for Genoese families to find holiday resorts close to the city and to build splendid country houses there. Some of these were fairly well known even before opening to the public, but the vast majority were a completely closed book, so that when they eventually became the property of the city, they were a great revelation even for the Genoese themselves.
Among the better known is the magnificent Villa Cambiaso, with its beautiful park and sports facilities, and Villa Gambaro, both in the Albaro quarter. At Nervi, Villa Serra which stands in one of Italy's finest parks, close by to Villa Luxoro and Villa Gropallo. Back in the centre, we have Villa Imperiale at San Fruttuoso, Villetta Dinegro and Villa Croce.
Lastly, on the western side, Villa Durazzo Pallavicini (with its spectacular jeux d'eau), Villa Scassi at Sampierdarena, Villa Rossi at Sestri Ponente and Villa Duchessa di Galliera at Voltri, with its famous English style park.

 

Villetta Dinegro - Edoardo Chiossone

 



the Maritime Museum

 

 

Palazzo Rosso


Museums

Masterpieces by Rubens and Caravaggio, the exotic splendours of Oriental art, curios from the remotest corners of the globe. The discerning art lover will find Genoa's museums of extreme interest, and in some ways even unique.
To begin with the best known and most copious, the galleries in Palazzo Rosso and Palazzo Bianco, the two historic buildings opposite one another on via Garibaldi (jewel of Renaissance urban development). Palazzo Rosso houses works by the major Genoese painters, as well as Van Dyck Titian and Veronese. Palazzo Bianco pays splendid tribute to the city's international links in the 17th century with works by Genoese, Flemish and Dutch masters, including Cambiaso, Strozzi, Magnasco, Rubens, De Wael, Van Der Goes, Jan Metsys, Cranach, Teniers and Zurbaran. Villetta Dinegro, standing on a slight rise above piazza Corvetto, has a recently built annex those houses one of the richest collections of Oriental art in Europe. Its 15,000 items span a thousand years of Japanese art, collected in the 19th century by Edoardo Chiossone (painter and director of the Japanese Mint) after whom the museum is named Local history, on the other hand, can be happily investigated in the "Museo del Tesoro di San Lorenzo" in the Cathedral crypt, where the architect Albini designed a special exhibition facility. Albini 's last work is the highly impressive Museum of Ligurian Sculpture and Architecture in the recently restored and restructured Sant'Agostino complex in piazza Sarzano. For archaeologists there is the Museum of Archaeology (via Pallavicini, 11). Another repository of local history is the Galleria di Palazzo Reale, in via Balbi. This valuable collection also features works by Van Dyck, Reni, Tintoretto and Guercino.
The Santa Maria di Castello Convent - with possibly the oldest church in Genoa - houses a museum with works by Brea and Maragliano. An absolute must for those visiting a city that was once one of the most powerful maritime republics in history is the Maritime Museum (Villa Doria, piazza Bonavino, 7). Here, a big collection of navigational instruments
includes one of the four surviving astrolabes made by Ignatio Danti, the great 16th century cosmographer.
The Museo Americanistico Lunardi (Corso Solferino, 39) specializes in Pre-Columbian art and has the richest collection of Maya art in Europe. Theatregoers should visit the "Museo Biblioteca dell'Attore" on the site of a building left to the city by Adelaide Ristori (via IV Novembre, 4). To come back to Pre-Columbian civilizations, there is a Museum of Ethnology in the Castello D'Albertis (Corso Dogali, 18). Natural history enthusiasts should visit the Museo Giacomo Doria (via Brigata Liguria, 9).
To investigate the history of the city, its culture and tastes, there is no lack of material: the "Museo del Risorgimento" and the "Istituto Mazziniano" in the birthplace of G. Mazzini, founder of "Giovine Italia" (via Lomellini); the Galleria D'Arte Moderna in Villa Serra (via Capolungo), which offers an illuminating study of fin de siecle Genoa on the canvases of local artists; the museum in Villa Luxoro (set in a charming park in Nervi) boasts a fine collection of antique furnishings and objects d'art, as well as a picture gallery; the "Museo dell'Accademia Ligustica di Belle Arti" (Ligurian Fine Arts Museum), founded by a group of wealthy and enlightened Genoese in 1751, spans more than five centuries of figurative art in Genoa and Liguria up to the last century.
Special mention must be made of the National Gallery in Palazzo Spinola (piazza Pellicceria). This aristocratic town house is perfectly preserved and contains a priceless collection of furnishings and paintings (Antonello da Messina, Van Cleve, Van Dyck) We should not forget the "Museo di Villa Croce", a visual arts centre of contemporary art, hosting important collections of abstracts artists.

Palazzo Bianco - Rubens

 

 

 

Museo del Tesoro di San Lorenzo

 

 

Museum of Archaeology

 

 

 

 

Museum of Ethnology in the Castello D'Albertis


A new Genoa

Genoa was built, as the poet Paul Valery observed, "in a continual struggle with the mountain". The centuries of work that produced today's city began in pre-historic times on the Castello hill, where the charming church of Santa Maria still stands. Genoa as we would recognize it first appeared in the 13th century.
In the 19th century radical urban development gave Genoa a new centre and extended the city beyond the outer walls. Industrialization favoured a process of amalgamation, with the various suburbs ("delegazioni") being administratively joined in 1926 to form a Greater Genoa. A city with two souls, Genoa offers both unsuspected art treasures and one of Europe ' s most advanced, complex and comprehensive services structures. In recent years urban development has redrawn the architectural geometry and managed to create spectacular effects without in the least compromising Genoa's historic heritage.
The Expo gave back the city her old harbour, now completely renovated, with the new convention centre in the Cotton Warehouses forming a splendid centrepiece. One of the most advanced structures in Europe, this development follows on from similarly successful projects, including the Fiera del Mare congress facility, the World Trade Centre and the Sant'Andrea abbey.
On the eve of 2000, Genoa is consolidating its reputation as a top congress venue. For several reasons: apart from the enviable climatic and environmental conditions, the location is well served by motorways and an airport and has excellent accommodation facilities including brand new hotels and country houses available for meetings and banquets.
Further space has been found thanks to the brilliant restoration projects regarding Genoa's most illustrious monuments. In piazza San Matteo, the church has been restored along with a number of Doria buildings, one of which is the venue to major exhibitions. Not far off is the huge mass of the Palazzo Ducale, which has been converted into a highly prestigious cultural "shell" for exhibitions, conventions and conferences. Another conference facility is the auditorium in the recently rebuilt Carlo Felice Opera House, one of Italy's greatest theatres. Entertainment space has also been created in the towers of Corte Lambruschini, a new office development that, with San Benigno, represents a focal point of business interests in Genoa today.

 


From mountain-side to sea-front

To follow the valleys down to the sea is also to discover a wealth of art treasures in Genoa's hinterland, from the scattered villages of the Apennines to the numerous fishing villages along the coasts. A good place to start is Masone, with its Iron Working Museum, in the Stura valley. Campo Ligure has a Filigree Museum and a renovated castle, which hosts exhibitions and other public events. Rossiglione is noted for its churches (Santa Caterina and Nostra Signora Assunta). The upper Orba valley, on the other hand, was under the "protection" of Tiglieto abbey for nearly 900 years and is now private property. Campomorone has a museum of paleontology and mineralogy in the 16th century Palazzo Balbi. Nearby, on Mt. Figogna is the Madonna della Guardia sanctuary. The main centre in the Scrivia valley is Busalla, with its richly verdant park and nympheum. On the banks of the Scrivia lies Ronco Scrivia, where there is a local history musem.
A few kilometres, on Isola del Cantone, with the outstanding pinola-Mignacco castle. Another castle, "Pietra", stands over the river on the road to Vobbia At Crocefieschi, remains of the old Fieschi manor can still be seen. The Santa Croce parish church has paintings and wooden statues. At Savignone too the ruins of the feudal castle remain, together with the Baroque church. At Casella, paintings by G.Andrea Ferrari can be admired in the church of Santo Stefano. Beyond Montoggio (where the church has well-preserved paintings by the Genoa school) are Torriglia and the upper valley. Along Val Trebbia are Montebruno (Santuario della Madonna) and Fontanigorda (San Rocco chapel). Not to be missed are the ancient copper mine (10th cent.) and the museum of rural culture.
There is much to see on the coast too: the parish churches of Cogoleto and Arenzano, and not far, on a hill, the fascinating Santuario del Bambin Gesù di Praga. East of Genoa there are splendid Baroque churches at Bogliasco and Sori and the ancient church of San Michele at Pieve Ligure Alta. The nearby oratory contains wooden crucifixes of the Genoa school.