Palazzo Rosso (Red Palace), Genoa

Palazzo Rodolfo e Gio Francesco Brignole Sale, otherwise simply referred to as Palazzo Rosso (Red Palace, named so for the distinguished red color), is located at Via Garibaldi, number 18. Built between 1671 and 1677, this was not one of the original 163 Palazzi dei Rolli of Genoa, as the last such list was established in 1664, ten years before the palace was completed.

The construction was commissioned by brothers Rodolfo and Giovanni Francesco Brignole Sale to the Genoese architect, Pietro Antonio Corradi. He proposed a U-shaped plan, with two noble floors, to accommodate two separate residences for each of the brothers. After the death of Rodolfo, Giovanni employed some of the top artists of 17th-century Genoa to decorate the whole building.

In 1746 the current appearance of the facade was defined, characterized by lion protomas marking the architraves of the windows of the two noble floors, depicting a rampant lion under a plum tree, called “brignòle” in Genoese dialect.

The rich art collection, gathered over the years inside the palace, includes the works by the likes of Antoon van Dyck, Guido Reni, Paolo Veronese, Guercino, Gregorio De Ferrari, Albrecht Dürer, Bernardo Strozzi and Mattia Preti. In 1874, the last descendant of the family, Maria Brignole Sale De Ferrari, the Duchess of Galliera, bequeathed the palace along with its art collection to the city of Genoa.

The World War II bombings brought serious damage to the property. In the 1990s, however, based on the historical descriptions, the building was fully restored to its 18th-century splendor.

Today, the distinguished palace forms part of the Strada Nuova Museums, together with Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Doria Tursi.

The admission fee is Eur 7 on all days, except Sunday.