Palazzo Balbi Piovera Francesco, Renaissance palace in Via Balbi, Genoa, Italy
Palazzo Balbi Piovera Francesco is a Renaissance palace on Via Balbi in Genoa featuring a monumental staircase supported by arches and cross vaults. This leads to spacious reception halls decorated with elaborate frescoes and artworks from different periods.
The palace was built between 1657 and 1665 by architect Pietro Antonio Corradi for Francesco Maria Balbi. Later it received extensive renovations under Edilio Raggio in 1870.
The frescoes inside show scenes of Genoese trade and honor Italian unification and the House of Savoy. These wall paintings tell the story of the city's importance as a trading power and its political past.
The palace is now used by the Faculty of Letters of the University of Genoa and is open to visitors at certain times. It is best to check opening hours in advance since its use as a university building may affect access.
The palace is part of the Palazzi dei Rolli system, a network of noble residences specifically designed to host high-ranking visitors during official state visits to Genoa. This system reveals how the city used its grandest buildings for diplomatic purposes.
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