Palazzo del Banco di Napoli, Renaissance villa in Genoa, Italy.

Villa Giustiniani-Cambiaso is a square, compact Renaissance villa on the Albaro hill in Genoa, with no internal courtyards. Its south facade faces a lawn and the sea, divided by a prominent string course: Tuscan columns below, fluted Corinthian pilasters above. A short stair leads to an open ground-floor loggia, with the piano nobile windows and a mezzanine above, crowned by a wide cornice.

Architect Galeazzo Alessi designed this palace in the 16th century, blending principles of ancient Roman architecture with contemporary techniques. The work emerged during a period when Genoa flourished economically and attracted major architects.

The villa's name recalls two Genoese families: the Giustiniani, who held it until 1787, and the Cambiaso, who acquired it that year. Inside, the loggia lunettes carry frescoes of Apollo as Day and Diana as Night, painted by Giovan Battista Castello and Luca Cambiaso. Since 1921 the building has housed the University of Genoa's engineering school, now the Scuola Politecnica.

The villa is reached from Via Montallegro in Albaro and now houses the Scuola Politecnica of the University of Genoa, so interiors are generally not open to casual visitors. The public park around it is a remnant of the larger grounds that once ran almost to the sea. Look for the white "UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI GENOVA" sign beside the green-framed doorway.

The villa's square plan has no internal courtyard, and its south front opens onto a lawn with a view toward the sea. Inside, the lunettes of the first-floor loggia hold two frescoes: Apollo as Day by Giovan Battista Castello on the left, Diana as Night by Luca Cambiaso on the right.