If there is a place that sums up the wealth of old Genoa, it is Via Garibaldi. It isn’t particularly long, but it concentrates an extraordinary collection of aristocratic residences built between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, today recognized as World Heritage by UNESCO.
Instead of building a royal palace to house illustrious visitors, the Republic devised an official list — the famous Rolli — with the homes of the noble families obliged to receive ambassadors, princes, or cardinals according to their rank. Prestige was also measured by the quality of the lodging one could offer.
The Palazzi dei Rolli are one of the great treasures of the city. Among them stand out the Palazzo Rosso, the Palazzo Bianco and the Palazzo Doria Tursi, today integrated into the Museums of Strada Nuova. In their rooms mingle works by Rubens, Van Dyck, Veronese or Caravaggio alongside the famous Guarneri violin that belonged to Niccolò Paganini, Genoa’s most celebrated son after Christopher Columbus.
Before leaving, it is worth climbing to the Terrace of Palazzo Rosso. From there the city reveals one of its best viewpoints: slate roofs, bell towers, palaces, and the port extending toward the Mediterranean.
