Royal Palace Museum of Genova

The Royal Palace is a majestic patrician residence. It was built, enlarged and splendidly decorated not only by the Savoy family, but also by two of the most important Genoese dynasties, the Balbis and the Durazzos. The palace is probably the largest 18th century architectural complex in Genoa, in which the fixtures such as stuccoes and frescoes, and the furnishings including paintings, sculptures and furniture, have remained unspoiled. During the centuries of the Grand Tour, the palace was often visited by artists and culture travellers, who were attracted by its vast and prestigious art collection. Napoleon took interest in the palace and eventually it became property of the King of Sardinia, Carlo Felice, who made it his Genoese home. The history of the palace evolves around three main historical identities. In the 1600s, the Balbi family commissioned its construction. In the 1700s, it was the home of the Durazzo family, who not only enlarged the palace, but also enriched it with extraordinary art collections. In the 1800s, the palace was occupied by the Savoy family, who were its last occupants before it turned into a museum. The history of this palace began on the 4th of February 1643, when Stefano Balbi, a skilful banker and creator of the new city road, which still bears his family's name, presented a plan to the town hall for the construction of an imposing building opposite the church of San Carlo. The Balbi family have humble origins. In the 1300s, they were simple craftsmen in the area of Valpolcevara. In the 1400s and 1500s, they had climbed the social ladder thanks to the silk trade, and with the revolution enacted by Andrea Doria, they finally became part of the nobility. Stefano was therefore born rich into one of the city's most prominent families, whose members in the previous generation had initiated the crucial passage from the status of textile merchants to that of financial experts. During the years of the Spanish government, Stefano was a financer of the Duchy of Milan, and as such he carried out a truly impressive number of activities. Leafing through the ledges of the Balbi company, his name emerges, emphasising the importance of his role among the old continent's bankers. Valerio Castello highlighted this role in his fresco Balbi's Fame. Stefano gave his family a very harsh public image with the solemn drellings lined up along the monumental street, which immortalised the family's name. At the time, the building consisted of the present central part, divided into two piano nobilis and three mezzanines, with two short rings that surrounded the courtyard overlooking the sea. Annexed to the central body was a western section, which hosted, on the second floor, a long room, initially conceived as a gallery for Giovanni Battista's paintings. In 1664, the palace shows up on the list of the most important buildings in Genoa, suitable for receiving foreign ambassadors visiting the Republic. Giovanni Battista's picture gallery was dispersed after his death in 1657. Three years later Stefano also passed away. In the following years, the palace was taken on by different people, until it was bought in 1679 by Eugenio and Giorluco d'Urazzo, who belonged to one of the richest and most ambitious families of the time. With the d'Urazzo family, the palace began a new era. A financial and political crisis, as well as the lack of mailers, had forced the Balbi family to sell the palace. The d'Urazzo brothers took advantage of this fact and bought the palace. Like the Balbis, Eugenio and Giorluco d'Urazzo belonged to a family of new nobles, having humble origins. In those days, the generi oligarchy was divided into new nobles, who came from the merchant bourgeoisie, and nobles of ancient feudal origins. Most likely of Albanian origins, they too had made their fortune between the 14th and 15th century in the field of silk manufacturing. At the end of the 1500s, a member of the d'Urazzo family had already been elected dodge, thus sealing the dynasty's extraordinary ascent. Their wealth had been skillfully invested in the most important European financial markets, first in Spain, then in France, in England and finally in Austria. In Genoa, the family's interests had been guarded through public offices, senators, ambassadors and dodges had consolidated the family's richness, prestige and, of course, political power. The privileged position in the city's oligarchy was further consolidated and protected through a shrewd matrimonial policy, which joined the family members to those of other important Genoese families. First the Balbis, as shown in the portrait of Caterina Balbi d'Urazzo by Anton van Dyck, and then the Brinuleis, Palavicinis and Spinolas. The great palace was immediately enlarged and enriched by magnificent decorations. Gioluca died only 28 days after the palace was purchased, but for Eugenio and his heirs, the palace was a symbol of prestige, culture and wealth, representing one of the most influential families worldwide. Halfway through the 18th century, the French ambassador wrote to his king that Genoa had become the d'Urazzo Republic. Eugenio and subsequently Girolamo, Marcellino and Girolamo Luigi were not only great admirers of art, as can be noted by their collections still visible today, but they were also very fond of the opera and of the ballet. This fact can be documented by the presence of the theatre, Il Teatro del Falcone, within the perimeter of their city residence. Thanks to their interests and their businesses, in the second half of the 1700s they managed all three theatres in the city, thus gaining control of Genoa's entertainment. This is one of the most popular and spectacular rooms of the Genoese residence. Inspired by the rich galleries in Roman palaces and by the Gallerie de Glace in Versailles, Girolamo d'Urazzo commissioned it in the 1730s to Domenico Paradi, who so transformed Giovanni Battista Balbi's picture gallery. In sumptuous decoration which pairs vices and virtues, real gold blends in repainted gold, the paint takes on the aspect of a sculpture, while the stuccoes transform themselves right in front of the visitor's eyes into magnificent art illusions. Lights and mirrors dilate space, scintillating reflections catch the onlooker by surprise, figures and allegories of the myth mix with characters from ancient history in a succession of unique illusion-like expedients. The gallery had been designed for sumptuous receptions on occasion of royal visits, like Napoleon's, and it could host a long table that seated up to 80 guests. To this day the gallery still boasts a splendid collection of antique Baroque statues bought by Eugenio d'Urazzo and his nephew Girolamo, along with the furnishings chosen by the old owners, which are made of carved gilt wood and Ligurian velvets. At the summit of the gallery, the late Baroque Ratto di Pozzapina by Francesco Schiaffino can be noted. Schiaffino created this work of art during the early years of the 18th century, immortalising the story of Cerise's daughter kidnapped by Pluto, the god of the underworld. Between the end of the 1600s and the beginning of the 1800s, Eugenio d'Urazzo and his heirs collected the paintings that are found in the magnificent halls and drawing rooms on the main floor. Many of these paintings are encased in the walls and framed by precious stuccoes and carved woods. Mythological characters and biblical stories alternate with portraits of the palace's various owners, from ladies to knights, dodges and prelates, fashionable young people and elderly patriarchs. The d'Urazzo's picture gallery is one of the most important of the generis patriciate. In all likelihood, before the 1800s, the collection included over 400 pieces of artwork. These were collected thanks to the privileged financial and political position the family boasted in the 1700s, a time when the rest of the city's oligarchy was in decline. The collection includes paintings on canvases and panels, paintings on silk and on copper, tapestries, frescoes and stuccoes, corals, mother of pearl, ivory and silver works, miniature carvings and exotic items from the Far East and the Americas. The d'Urazzo's were also lavish buyers of furnishings. The palace drawing rooms were fashionably furnished with brocades and silks, painted wood carvings and items of the finest French cabinet work. The most valuable pieces did indeed come from Paris. Armchairs, gold objects, consoles and Rococo mirrors, silver filigree and precious stones decorated the home and amazed any guest. After the French Revolution and the collapse of the oligarchy republic, the d'Urazzo's lost their predominance in the city's political and cultural life. In the meantime, in 1815, Genoa lost its secular independence at the Vienna Congress, and the Savoy's became Liguria's new rulers. In search of a suitable residence fit for a court, the King of Sardinia purchased the palace with all of its treasures from the d'Urazzo's. In 1823, the Balby street home, built and decorated to rival any royal residence, became the Royal Palace of Genoa. Many paintings were sold on that occasion and left the city forever. Other works of art were transferred to Turin by the Savoy's. For the palace, this was the end of a long period of splendour. The royal family refurbished some of the interiors in order to adapt them to the court's needs. The Great Ballroom, the Hearing Hall and the Throne Room were set up at this time. The magnificent suite located in the east wing on the First Piano Nobile still conserves its name today from its last historical owner, Luigi Amadeo from Savoy Aosta, Duke of the Abruzzi. Well known as an explorer, navigator, mountaineer and admiral, he was born in Madrid on the 29th January 1873. His father, Amadeo, Duke of Aosta, was the King of Spain. During the years, the suite has undergone many modifications. It has been enlarged as well as reduced. Today it is made up of ten halls lavishly furnished. As the Duke dedicated his life exclusively to adventurous travels around the world, he stayed in the suite during his brief visits to Genoa towards the end of the 19th century, to the time of his death in 1933. This suite, however, had had other prestigious tenants in the past. It was decorated many times during the years and different types of furniture, pieces of artwork and household objects of all sorts would come and go. In 1844, its name is mentioned in the inventories of the royal family as the suite which belonged to the Duke and Duchess of Savoy. While in 1877, it is said to have been the apartment of His Majesty King Victor Emmanuel II. Because of Victor Emmanuel's marriage to Maria Adelaide of Habsburg-Lorraine in 1842, many receptions and celebrations are held in their honour. The apartment, furnished purposely for the newlyweds, is also referred to as the wedding apartment. In 1919, Victor Emmanuel III donated the palace to the state so it could be turned into a public museum. The modern history of this building began right then and reached its apex in 2006 when the palace became part of the UNESCO World Heritage.