Museum sights in Genoa
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Museo delle Culture del Mondo
Castello D’Albertis houses the eclectic Museo delle Culture del Mondo. The neo-Gothic edifice was built in 1892 on the ruins of a much older castle for the globetrotting Capitano Enrico D’Albertis, who hauled back all manner of ‘curiosities’ from his extensive sea voyages. Where else could you find a stuffed platypus, a fragment of the Great Wall of China and a handful of sand from San Salvador (Columbus’ first disembarkation point) in the same cabinet? If you don’t fancy the climb up to Corso Dogali, there’s a lift from Via Balbi (€0.70) to the castle gates.
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Palazzo Doria-Tursi
Tickets must be purchased at the bookshop inside Palazzo Doria-Tursi. The palace’s Sala Paganiniana has a small but absorbing collection of legendary violinist Niccolò Paganini’s personal effects. Pride of place goes to his ‘Canone’ violin, made in Cremona in 1743. One lucky musician gets to play the maestro’s violin during October’s Paganiniana festival. Other artefacts on show include letters, musical scores and his travelling chess set. The palace has housed Genoa’s town hall since 1848.
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Palazzo Ducale
On the Piazza De Ferrari is the Palazzo Ducale, accessed via Piazza Giacomo Matteotti. Once the seat of Genoa’s rulers, it hosts a few small specialist museums and archives, including the Museo del Jazz, with a collection of original recordings. High-profile temporary art exhibitions are held in the palazzo, which also has a bookshop, cafe and restaurants.
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Museo del Tesoro
The Museo del Tesoro preserves various dubious holy relics, including the medieval Sacro Catino, a glass vessel once thought to be the Holy Grail. Other artefacts include the polished quartz platter upon which Salome is said to have received John the Baptist’s head, and a fragment of the True Cross.
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Palazzo Bianco
Flemish, Spanish and Italian artists feature at Palazzo Bianco. Rubens’ Venere e Marte and Van Dyck’s Vertumna e Pomona are among the highlights, which also include works by Hans Memling, Filippino Lippi and Murillo, as well as 15th-century religious icons.
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Museo d’Arte Orientale
Just east of Via Garibaldi, a path from Piazza Corvetto twists through terraced gardens to the Museo d’Arte Orientale. With some 20, 000 items, including porcelain, bronzes, costumes and musical instruments, this museum brings together one of Europe’s largest collections of Japanese art.
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Galata Museo del Mare
The best place to gain an appreciation for Genoa’s relationship with the sea is the excellent Galata Museo del Mare, which traces the history of seafaring from earliest times through the ages of sail and steam to the present via high-tech exhibits.
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Palazzo San Giorgio
Marco Polo was once an inmate of the frescoed Palazzo San Giorgio. Built in 1260, it became a prison in 1298; Polo worked on Il Milione here. These days it hosts occasional exhibitions; the city centre info kiosk has information.
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Museo del Jazz
The Museo del Jazz, which has a collection of original recordings. High-profile temporary art exhibitions are held in the palazzo, which also has a bookshop, café and restaurants.
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Musei di Strada Nuova
Three of Via Garibaldi's grand palaces, Rosso, Bianco and Doria-Tursi, comprise the Musei di Strada Nuova. Between them, they hold the city's finest collection of Old Masters.
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