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Royal Palace of Genoa

Genoa's gilded royal palace, with a Versailles-style hall of mirrors and a harbor-view terrace.

  • Genoa
  • Palace
Plan your visit
Where
Genoa
Best for
Hall of mirrors by Domenico Parodi
Allow
1 hr 30 min
Tickets
From €10
Checked September 2026

The Balbi family built this palace between 1643 and 1650 to show off their banking fortune, and when the Durazzo family bought it in 1677 they added the flourishes that survive today: gilded stucco, an atrium framed to catch the harbor view, and a hall of mirrors by Domenico Parodi that answers Versailles on a Genoese scale.

The House of Savoy took it over in 1824 and used it as an official royal residence, and it opened as a state museum in 1919. Portraits by Van Dyck, who spent years painting Genoa's merchant aristocracy, still hang where the Durazzo and Savoy families placed them, and the terrace out back still looks straight down to the working port.

Five works worth finding

If you see nothing else, see these.

  1. The Hall of MirrorsDomenico Parodi, 18th century

    A mirrored gallery that answers Versailles on a Genoese scale, with sculptures by Filippo Parodi and Schiaffino.Piano nobile

  2. The Van Dyck portraitsAnthony Van Dyck

    Van Dyck spent years painting Genoa’s merchant aristocracy; look for the portrait of Caterina Balbi Durazzo.Picture gallery

  3. The Throne RoomSavoy decoration, 19th century

    The Savoys made the palace an official royal residence, and the state rooms show it.State rooms

  4. The fresco of the Fame of the BalbiValerio Castello

    A Baroque ceiling celebrating the family that built the palace to show off its banking fortune.Frescoed room

  5. The hanging gardenGarden terrace

    A terrace garden that looks down to the working port, a rare green pause in the city’s heart.Behind the palace

Plan your visit

Everything you need before you go.

Tickets
From €10
Booking
No booking needed
Time needed
1 hr 30 min
Best time
Weekday mornings right at opening, before tour groups arrive
Getting there
The palace is at Via Balbi 10, a short walk from Genova Piazza Principe train station, in the university district just above the old port.

Reduced ticket is €8; free for under-18s and Disability Card holders with a companion. The ticket also covers Palazzo Spinola across town and is valid at both sites within a year of purchase. Last updated September 2026. Prices change, so check the official site before you go.

Buy the combined ticket and cross town the same day to Palazzo Spinola: it's a smaller, quieter palace with an equally strong picture collection, for no extra cost over visiting Palazzo Reale alone.

Official website
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Good to know

How long should you spend at the Royal Palace of Genoa?

About an hour and a half. The state rooms and the Hall of Mirrors are the main stops, plus a pass through the picture gallery and the garden terrace.

Is the Royal Palace of Genoa worth visiting?

Yes, especially if you like Baroque interiors without crowds. It is one of the great palaces of Via Balbi, and much quieter than the Rolli palaces on Strada Nuova.

Can you see the Royal Palace and other palaces on Via Balbi in one day?

Yes. Via Balbi is a short street lined with palaces, including the University building and Palazzo Balbi Senarega, so a morning along it fits easily. Finish in the old port below.

More to see nearby

Same city first, then the nearest across the region.

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