The stately palaces of Genoa
To me the stately palaces of Genoa appeared as a revelation. I’d never expected to find this kind of beauty in a rough seaport, where more than a hundred grand palaces crowd the streets.
One of Liguria’s UNESCO World Heritage sites is Strade Nuove in Genoa. A street lined with more than one hundred late-Renaissance and Baroque mansions that were used as homes for noble families and as state accommodation for visitors of state. The proportions of these Palazzi dei Rolli are gigantic and this combined with the narrow streets and the hard shadows make it virtually impossible for someone with my photographic abilities to capture the beauty of the place. It is gobsmacking.
Even Charles Dickens was impressed, when he moved to Genoa in 1844 and found
‘A bewildering phantasmagoria, with all the inconsistency of a dream, and all the pain and all the pleasure of an extravagant reality!’
And his description is still accurate as the following photos paired with a rather long quote from ‘Pictures from Italy’ show. For more Dickens’ quotes see the post about the Palazzo Te in Mantova or Dickens’ account of the Roman Carnival.
The endless details of these rich Palaces: the walls of some of them, within, alive with masterpieces by Vandyke!
The great, heavy, stone balconies, one above another, and tier over tier: with here and there, one larger than the rest, towering high up—a huge marble platform; the doorless vestibules, massively barred lower windows,
immense public staircases, thick marble pillars, strong dungeon-like arches,
and dreary, dreaming, echoing vaulted chambers: among which the eye wanders again, and again, and again, as every palace is succeeded by another-
the terrace gardens between house and house, with green arches of the vine, and groves of orange-trees, and blushing oleander in full bloom, twenty, thirty, forty feet above the street
—the painted halls, mouldering, and blotting, and rotting in the damp corners, and still shining out in beautiful colours and voluptuous designs…
In my head, Genoa has always been linked to Columbus. Thanks to your post, Mette, I know now they’re “stately palaces” as well. These are quite grand!
There is the cutest little house that once belonged to Columbus’ family in Genoa as well. Quite a contrast to the surrounding palaces.
Beautiful city…
It’s lovely. I like it a lot.
Fantastic! Such a contrast to the modern monstrosities the build today! It is like the composers and artists of that time, we will never again see such works! Thank you for once again sharing on of your lovely discoveries!
They are absolutely amazing. And thank you for taking the time to comment. I really appreciate the feedback.