Galleria Nazionale di Palazzo Reale, Genoa

Galleria Nazionale di Palazzo Reale is inside the 17th century building, built by Stefano Balbi. It was then enlarged by the Durazzo family, before passing to the Savoy kingdom in 1824. It is the most important example of a stately home in Genova. This is largely due to the enormous size and splendor of the building. After you have had a look at the peaceful hanging gardens created in 1739, you will come to the monumental staircase which was created to go up to the aristocratic floor. The rooms there are richly decorated with frescoes, paintings and stuccoes. They still contain many of the original furniture and picture galleries. You can also see the Battle room, the Veronese room, the splendid Mirror room and the Throne room. You can then go onto the terrace, where there is a stupendous view of the old city and of the port up to the Lanterna.