During the extraordinary years between the Renaissance and the Baroque periods, Genoese nobles commissioned the design and construction of a series of highly opulent palaces in Strada Nuova.
Genoa enriched itself with magnificent facades featuring stucco, marble, or painted decorations, grandiose atriums, and splendid gardens with fountains and nymphaeums; inside, there were large frescoed reception rooms, sumptuous furnishings, exquisite collections, and rich picture galleries. These exceptionally luxurious residences did not escape the eye of a refined artist like the great Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens who, at the beginning of the 1600s, published a book compiling drawings of the palaces, which he proposed as a residential model for the nobility of all Europe. The number and splendour of the palaces gave rise to a unique system of public hospitality, established in 1576 by a Decree of the Senate: an official list of prestigious palaces was instituted, binding their owners to host state visits on a rotational basis. Depending on the rank of the visiting guest, a palace was selected to host them: the higher the guest’s rank of nobility, the more lavish the palace had to be, and the wealthier the family who bore the honour and the burden of welcoming them. The "List of Public Lodgings or Rolli" (Elenco degli Alloggiamenti pubblici o Rolli) and its updates are preserved in precious volumes at the State Archives of Genoa. The quality of the architecture and decorations of Genoa's palaces, the singular system of public hospitality, and the attention of Rubens are the elements for which, in 2006, “Le Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli” were inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage List. The UNESCO site comprises 42 Rolli palaces, out of more than 100 in existence, which extend from Strada Nuova across a large part of the historic centre through Via Lomellini, Piazza Fossatello, and Via San Luca, reaching Piazza Banchi and the sea. In some cases, the Rolli palaces still belong to private individuals today, while many have become headquarters for banks or offices; several have become Museums and are therefore always open to visitors: the palaces of the Strada Nuova Museums, the National Gallery of Palazzo Spinola di Pellicceria, and the Palazzo Reale Museum. Every year, Genoa celebrates its Rolli Palaces with the Rolli Days event: weekends during which the palaces open their doors and reveal their treasures to the public.
Allow yourself to be amazed by the charm of the Palazzi dei Rolli and discover some of these sumptuous residences thanks to the guided tour "The splendid 16th-century Genoese residences"!
APP Palazzi dei Rolli Genova Thanks to the new Palazzi dei Rolli Genova app, available for free download, you can navigate among the 42 Rolli palaces—a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2006—consult in-depth profiles, locate the palaces via an augmented reality browser, navigate the map, and view events and points of interest profiles by scanning with the augmented reality engine. The mobile APP is available on the Apple Store (iOS version) App Palazzi dei Rolli Genova and the Google Play Store (Android version) Genova Rolli. The website If you wish to deepen your knowledge of these authentic jewels, the undisputed symbol of the splendours of Genoa's bygone era, you can consult the official website: https://www.rolliestradenuove.it/