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DAY 11
GENOA STRADA NUOVA PALAZZI
OVERNIGHT IN GENOA
The 16th century was called The Genoese Century. The remnants of this period of grandeur can still be seen in the palaces of the Genoese aristocrats and wealthy on the so-called "New Street" up the hill from the port.
On Via Garabaldi, formerly called Strada Nuova,, are three palaces which constitute one exhibition route called
"Musei di Strada Nuova.
Strada Nuova, a residential area of Genoese aristocracy, was unique in the world for its architectural and urban-planning qualities.
Its outstanding monumental appearance amazed Italian and foreign visitors alike, including Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens, who thought its buildings could serve as models of housing for Antwerp
and the southern Netherlands.
Rubens spent eight years in Italy from 1600-1609, including at least four stays in Genoa. He was so impressed by the beauty of its palaces that in 1622 he published a two-volume book called Palazzi di Genova.
Thanks to the spectacular lobbies, frescoed halls, gardens, monumental nymphaea and art collections, these palaces have been granted the status of “World Heritage Site” by UNESCO.
The Palazzo Rosso (Red Palace) dates from the 1670s and is one of the most important picture galleries of Genoa.
The Palazzo Bianco (White Palace) was constructed between 1530 and 1540 by Luca Grimaldi, a member of one of the most important Genoese families. Its art gallery
offers a panorama of European painting from the 12th century to the 17th century, with a prevalence of Genoese, Flemish, French and Spanish painters.
Among them are Rubens, Van Dyke and Caravaggio.
DAY 12 / SATURDAY / OCTOBER 25
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