Italy > The Rolli Palaces of Genoa

In the common room, breakfast is ready. This morning, someone came to set up breakfast. We barely heard anything of it. Yesterday, Gaia informed us that from half past eight for several hours there would be no electricity due to maintenance work. We prepare the coffee beforehand. Just to be safe, there is also a small lamp on the table. This turns out to be unnecessary. Just as we are about to walk into the city, the lights go out. It is just before nine o’clock. We walk down the stairs. The Saint Luca church on the square outside the door is open. The small church is beautifully decorated in Baroque style. From the boulevard, we see the large cruise ships in the harbor. At Porto Antico, we walk onto the pier. The renovated harbor area now has cafés and attractions. At the end, we have a view of the characteristic La Lanterna—the oldest still functioning lighthouse in the world. Since 1543, the lighthouse’s light has guided ships into the harbor. Through narrow alleys, we enter the old district again. We wander through the streets, sometimes left, sometimes right. Before we realize it, we are at the square where we ate yesterday. From here, we know the way to the San Lorenzo cathedral. The cathedral dates back to the ninth century but has been frequently altered with different architectural styles.

Italy - The cathedral of Genoa is under scaffolding

The striped pillars and the beautifully painted ceiling stand out. Close to the cathedral lies Piazza De Ferrari, the city’s main square. The Andrea church, located on the square, is closed. We miss seeing the beautiful interior. On the other side of the square, we walk through the covered luxury shopping arcade to the northern part of the historic center. Near Via Garibaldi, the palaces of Genoa stand in a row. In 1576, the Republic of Genoa compiled a list of the city’s most important noble palaces. The palaces on this list, the ‘Palazzi dei Rolli,’ had the privilege of hosting state guests. Most palaces date from the 16th to 18th centuries. The palaces on the list were included in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2006. Palazzo Rosso and Palazzo Bianco are open as museums. Unfortunately, both museums are closed on Mondays. The town hall, which is also housed in a former palace, is open. A security guard gestures that we may enter. From the balustrade on the first floor, we admire the splendor of this palace.

Italy - The courtyard of one of the beautiful palaces in Genoa

Behind Via Garibaldi, a funicular railway runs to the higher part of Genoa. The cable car is temporarily free of charge. We board. It turns out that masks must still be worn on public transport. We do not have one with us. Without a mask, we ride to the top. From the plateau, we have a view over the city. We see the old town and the church towers of the churches we passed. Further on, we see Palazzo Principe, a palace that is open to the public on Mondays. Before we walk there, we first order something to eat and drink. It is thirty degrees today and oppressively warm. The palace is about a half-hour walk away. To avoid the busy main road, we take smaller parallel streets. Here we also walk in the shade. However, these turn out to be the streets Gaia advised against visiting in the evening. Even during the day, it does not feel pleasant. Many youths dominate the street scene. We decide to continue along the main road. When we see the Dinegro metro station, to our surprise, we realize we walked past the palace. On the way back, we realize we passed right by the entrance. Villa del Principe, as it is actually called, was built in 1521 on the orders of an admiral of Emperor Charles V.

Italy - The fourposter bed in Villa del Principe

The palace was built outside the city walls before the Palazzi dei Rolli. There are twenty rooms in total—ten in the women's wing and ten in the men's wing. The rooms are beautiful and give an impression of how people lived in the 16th century. The ceiling paintings are impressive. In the symmetrically laid-out garden, the Neptune fountain stands out. The white marble statue is surrounded by fish. In the past, the garden stretched to the sea. Nowadays, it ends at the wide road and the boulevard behind it. With the visit to the palace, we have seen many of Genoa’s sights. We walk back to our Bed and Breakfast along the boulevard. Time to do nothing in the room. It is a warm day today. In the evening, we walk into the old city again. We randomly take streets left and right. Soon we are lost. When we discuss whether San Lorenzo church is to the left or right, a passerby calls out that we should go right. The Andrea church next to San Lorenzo is now open. Earlier today, it was closed. There is a service going on. From the doorway, we view the impressively beautifully decorated church. The ceiling paintings, statues, and gold finishes make this Jesuit church one of the most beautiful in the city. Many restaurants are closed on Mondays. On the lively Piazza delle Erbe square, we find an open restaurant and a free table. A perfect spot for dinner.

Italy - The beautiful dome of the Chiesa del Ges e dei Santi Ambrogio e Andrea