Palazzo Reale is the most princely among the mansions of the noble in Via Balbi. It is called the Royal Palace because, during the 19th century, the Savoy Kings chose it as their residence when in town. Before belonging to the Kings of Sardinia, this beautiful building was home to two great Genoese families: first the Balbi family, who built it in the mid-17th century, then the Durazzo family, who enlarged it towards the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th century.
The building is one of the best examples of Genoese 17th and 18th century palaces, featuring perfectly preserved interior design, complete and undamaged frescoes, stuccowork, paintings, sculptures, furniture and furnishings and ornaments. It was decorated by some among the greatest Genoese and foreign Baroque and Late Baroque, or Rococò, artists.
The forecourt and great courtyard are indeed monumental, with a magnificent hanging garden overlooking the harbour. Parts of the garden are paved and decorated with black and white pebbles taken from a demolished monastery. This typical, local technique is called risseu-paving.
Visitors can tour the State Rooms, including the Throne Room, the Ballroom and the exquisite Hall of Mirrors (Galleria degli Specchi), as well as the Crown Princes’ Apartment (Appartamento dei Principi Ereditari), with its well preserved, 19th century furniture, fabrics and décor.
Palazzo Reale also houses the Falcon Theatre (Teatro del Falcone), a recent re-construction of the original 18th-century theatre used by playwright Carlo Goldoni in 1763. The Falcon Theatre is currently used for exhibitions and other events.
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