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“How can I forget the streets lined with palaces, the Strada Nuova and the Strada Balbi? Or also the sight of the former when I first saw it, under the bright and deep blue summer sky, whose close rows of huge mansions made it a strip of very precious light gradually narrowing, in sharp contrast with the dark shadow below!” |
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This is how Charles Dickens “painted” via Balbi in 1843. This street was built out of the necessity of linking piazza del Vastato (now called piazza della Nunziata) to piazza Acquaverde, so as to make it easier to carry goods to and from the Ponente (West). The Street if famous for some of its historical buildings. |
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Palazzo Balbi Raggio (pict.fig.1). This Palace was built between 1656 and 1674 by Francesco Maria Balbi; later it was owned by the Durazzo family. In 1848 it was bought by the Groppallos and by Edilio Raggio in 1890. The facade was restored in 2004. The building now houses the Faculty of Letters and Philosophy of Genoa. |
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The Church of Saints Gerolamus and Francis Xavier (pict. 2) This church dates back to 1667. It was financed by Francesco Maria Balbi and the interior decorations are works by Domenico Piola. Today the building houses the University Library of Genoa (Genoa University) |
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The Royal Palace: It was formerly called the Balbi Durazzo palace (pict. 3). The main body of the building was built between 1643 and 1650 by Stefano and Giovanni Battista B. In 1679 it was expanded by Eugenio Durazzo and the first Genoa theatre was set up inside this building; it was called Theatro Falcone. In 1824 the palace was bought by the Savoy Royal family and it has been a museum since 1919. |
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The University Palace (pict. 4) It used to be the Jesuits’ College that rose in the area of St. Gerolamus del Roso’s older convent. The original plan dates back to 1634. Today it houses The presidency, some faculties and the administration offices. |
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Other Via Balbi buildings with historical interest:
Palazzo Durazzo Pallavicini (now called Cattaneo Adorno): they starter building it in 1618 completed it in 1670. It was the first building in this street after it was opened ( it is currently not open to the public).
Balbi Cattaneo:
This building was built in 1588 in the area where the old medieval houses of the Balbi family were pulled down; later it was owned by the Cattaneo family and entirely restructured by architect Gregorio Petondi in 1776. Later it was owned by the Levante Insurance company. After being seriously damaged during the second world war, it was soon restored and now it belongs to the University of Genoa.
Palazzo Balbi Senarega:
It was built between 1618 and 1620 for the bankers Giacomo and Pantaleo Balbi. It is one of the first buildings having two independent noble apartments. After being recently restored, it houses now some departments of the Faculty of Letters and Philosophy.
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