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.

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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

Glen Creasy (10 months ago)
If you're interested in viewing rooms dressed as they appeared years ago, this is a good place to visit. There are lots of interesting paintings, furniture and carvings made back when workmanship was something people took personal pride in. Wherever I looked I could find interesting details, and some rooms, like the Gallery of Mirrors, were very impressive! Signage and explanations are sparse, but that didn't really detract from the visit for me - it was nice to soak in the history and wonder about how some pieces ended up in the palace...
Pradeep Ponnuswamy (10 months ago)
A good way to spend time and explore the history of Genova. The museum is 10 minutes walk from the Genoa Principe train station. We had time to kill so decided to explore the museum and it takes a total of 2 hours at the most. The museum is well maintained housing the original palace with most of the interior including furniture and paintings. Some of the interesting aspects were the King and Queen's bedroom and Mirror Hall. There is sufficient information provided in each of the rooms to explain the history and significance. If you have time and interest in exploring Genova history this is a good place to visit.
Simon Bolitho (13 months ago)
We visited on our last full day in Genova and what a place. The art was beautiful captivating us with the skills of the past masters. The Royal palace rooms were lavishly decorated which were amazing.
Nataliia Yefimenko (14 months ago)
Fresh breeze from the Tyrrhenian Sea ? is felt on the open terraces, times before there were trees ? outside. Looks to be perfectly planned, decorated and equipped. High ceilings decorated with paintings ?, lots of space including ball room inside.
Becky Kelway (14 months ago)
We met Maurizio who kindly listened to our questions and we had a great conversation with him about art collections and architecture. This palace is worth a visit and along with Spinola. The staff are friendly and welcoming. The palace is well looked after and also affords great views across the port and city
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