Palazzo Reale

Genoa, Italy

Construction of the present Palazzo Reale began in 1618 for the Balbi family. From 1643-1655, work renewed under the direction of the architects Pier Francesco Cantone and Michele Moncino. In 1677, the palace was sold to the Durazzo Family, who enlarged the palace under the designs of Carlo Fontana.

In 1823, the palace was sold to the Royal House of Savoy. From 1919, the palace has belonged to the state.

The palace contains much original furniture and decoration. Frescoes inside include the Glory of the Balbi Family by Valerio Castello and Andrea Sghizzi, Spring changing slowly to Winter by Angelo Michele Colonna and Agostino Mitelli, and Jove establishes Justice on the Earth by Giovanni Battista Carlone. It also contains canvases by Bernardo Strozzi, il Grechetto, Giovanni Battista Gaulli, Domenico Fiasella as well as Bassano, Tintoretto, Luca Giordano, Anthony van Dyck, Ferdinand Voet, and Guercino. It contains statuary by Filippo Parodi.

References:

Comments

Your name



Address

Via Balbi 4, Genoa, Italy
See all sites in Genoa

Details

Founded: 1618
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Italy

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

M R (15 months ago)
The Royal Palace, a delightful experience. Is my last day in Genova and I'm looking for an easy yet rewarding spot to visit. Wandering by Balbi street, I'm caught by the elegant entrance of a site, Is the Royal Palace. Asking for infos, I get told that today is free entry ( first sunday of the month ) and the visit only takes 1-2 Hr, sounds like a perfect opportunity. The visit gets along all the typical rooms of a 18th century " Reggia ": Ballroom, Reading rooms, Audience Chamber, Weapons Room etc.. with final view from the balcony on the port of Genova. The sight is just mesmerizing and fills with nostalgia.. the trip is almost over.
Margaret K (17 months ago)
Magnificent Palace with a lot to see, very friendly staff and reasonable price. Some beautiful pieces of furniture and great views from the terrace.
Rachael (17 months ago)
A small but worthwhile palace museum, with original room decor & furniture from the 18th century. Visitors have access to the palace rooms as well as a large balcony with views of the port & the sea, and an inner courtyard and garden below. You can buy the tickets online and bring them on your phone!
Andrew Meadowcroft (20 months ago)
Well worth a visit. We almost gave it a miss, but glad we decided to visit. Some lovely rooms and the dining hall with the chandeliers was the highlight.
Kim D (2 years ago)
Only €2 entry for students which is well worth it. The museum is open at really strange times but hey that's Italy. We only went in for the garden but then found the palace to be really gorgeous - definitely recommend a visit here. I think the garden would be better in the daylight and it wasn't lit very well.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Manarola

Manarola is a small town, a frazione of the comune of Riomaggiore. It is the second-smallest of the famous Cinque Terre towns frequented by tourists, with a population of 353.

Manarola may be the oldest of the towns in the Cinque Terre, with the cornerstone of the church, San Lorenzo, dating from 1338. The local dialect is Manarolese, which is marginally different from the dialects in the nearby area. The name 'Manarola' is probably a dialectical evolution of the Latin, 'magna rota'. In the Manarolese dialect this was changed to 'magna roea' which means 'large wheel', in reference to the mill wheel in the town.

Manarola's primary industries have traditionally been fishing and wine-making. The local wine, called Sciacchetrà, is especially renowned; references from Roman writings mention the high quality of the wine produced in the region.