Palazzo Bianco (White Palace), Genoa

Sitting on Giuseppe Garibaldi Street, right in the heart of the UNESCO-listed New Streets, the White Palace is refreshingly honest about its branding. It’s called “white” because the façade is, well… white. No metaphor, no symbolism—just good, pale stone.

The palace went up between 1530 and 1540 for Luca Grimaldi, a man who managed to be a troubadour, politician, and diplomat all at once—clearly someone who didn’t believe in choosing just one career path. The Grimaldis were one of Genoa’s prominent families, but the building didn’t stay put for long. By 1658, it had passed to the De Franchi Toso family, and in 1711, it changed hands again, this time as payment for a debt. In Genoa, even palaces sometimes settle accounts...

When the Durazzo family took over, they didn’t do things halfway. Between 1714 and 1716, they gave the palace a major makeover, and this is when the name “White Palace” truly stuck, reflecting the elegant, unified look we see today.

Fast-forward to the late 19th century, and the story takes a generous turn. Maria Brignole-Sale, the last of the Durazzos, handed the palace over to the city. Her idea was simple and forward-thinking: turn private luxury into a public art gallery. She even began expanding the collection herself, officially dedicating the gallery in 1884.

An easy walk from the historic center, this palace is, indeed, an even easier place to lose track of time once you’re inside it. Here, you get a crash course in elite taste.

Donna Maria had a clear soft spot for Spanish and Flemish painters, and it shows. Works by Van Dyck, Rubens, Filippino Lippi, Veronese, and Caravaggio line the walls, but the real standout here is Lucas Cranach the Elder’s Portrait of a Lady—a painting that tends to stop people mid-step. And just when you think you’ve seen it all, the upper floors switch gears with a surprisingly rich display of 19th- and 20th-century fashion.

So, prepare yourself to linger longer than you planned, quietly recalibrating what you thought you came to see.