Description
On this Rolli Palaces guided tour in Genoa you step inside the homes of the aristocratic families of the city's Golden Century, the 16th and 17th centuries. The visit lasts about two and a half hours and the bilingual guide speaks Italian first, then English.
The story behind the palaces is half the fun. In 1576 the Senate of the Republic listed them in the Rolli, parchment rolls divided into three groups by richness and size. Lots were drawn to decide which family would host a visiting dignitary, a privilege and a duty. The Rolli became a UNESCO site in 2006.
- Palazzo Imperiale, with its grand stairway (entry included)
- Palazzo Rosso, one of the Strada Nuova Museums (entry included)
- Palazzo Lomellino, with a hidden fresco
- Palazzo Tobia Pallavicino, home to the Golden Room
You will notice open staircases, courtyards and loggias facing gardens. Rubens admired them enough to publish a book of their drawings as a model for the nobles of Antwerp.
A red or orange weather alert can cancel the tour.