Genoa - Via Balbi Palaces

In the atrium are six bronze figures (The Virtues) and six bronze reliefs (The Sufferings of Our Lord) by Giovanni da Bologna (1579).

On the left (No. 4) stands the Palazzo Balbi-Senarega (1620 onwards) with a fine courtyard, from which there is a view of the orangery. No. 5 (on right) is the Palazzo dell'Università, begun in 1634-50 as a Jesuit college, with the finest courtyard and gardens in Genoa.

On the right of Via Balbi (No. 1) in Genoa is the Palazzo Durazzo-Pallavicini (c. 1620), with a Rococo entrance hall and a fine staircase of 1780.

There is a garden with a small lake by Canzio, who also designed Palazzo Durazzo-Pallavicini. It contains a number of exotic plant species.

Opposite to Palazzo dell'Università is the Palazzo Reale (begun 1650), with fine staircases, large balconies and a richly decorated interior (pictures, tapestries). From 1822-24 it was the residence of the House of Savoy-Piedmont. View of the harbor and Piazza Statuto from the beautiful garden terrace.