VILLA DEL PRINCIPE - PALAZZO ANDREA DORIA
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Entirely dedicated to the Doria family, lords of Genoa, this princely villa is a marvelous Renaissance testimony on the seaside.
It is difficult to imagine today that this splendid Renaissance palace, immersed in the heart of a modern urban fabric, was once isolated in the middle of a park and contemplated the sea without any obstacle in front of it. Wanted by Admiral Andrea Doria and built between 1527 and 1533, the Villa del Principe has everything of the princely Roman and Florentine residences. The Genoese admiral, at the height of his glory, chose to retire to his native city for his old age. He commissioned illustrious artists such as Piero Buonaccorsi and Perin del Vaga to build the first Renaissance residence in Genoa. The result is sumptuous: inspired by the Hellenic-Roman arcaded villas, a magnificent Italian garden surrounds the architecture that once extended to the sea where the galleys of the Doria fleet were stationed. Among the series of rooms and terraces, two rooms stand out. On the noble floor, the Gallery of Heroes by Perin del Vaga is a true masterpiece: the artist associates the great men of the Doria lineage with famous Roman heroes. The twelve warriors represented here are actually members of the Doria family, as a Latin inscription reminds us. In the Hall of the Shipwreck, a breathtaking series of Flemish tapestries depicts the events related to the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. Today, the Villa del Principe is still owned by the same family, who personally manage the museum and the restorations.
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