Palazzo Ducale (Genoa)
Encyclopedia
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, northern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Once the home of the Doges of Genoa
Doge of Genoa
The Republic of Genoa, in what is now northern Italy, was technically a communal republic in the early Middle Ages, although it was actually an oligarchy ruled by a small group of merchant families, from whom were selected the Doges of Genoa.- History :...
, it is now a museum and a centre for cultural events and arts exhibitions. It is situated in the heart of the city, with two different entrances and facades, the main one on Piazza Matteotti, and the second one on Piazza De Ferrari.
History
The first parts of the Palace were built between 1251 and 1275, during the flourishing period of the Republican historyRepublic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
of Genoa, while the Torre Grimaldina (also named "Torre del Popolo" - Tower of the People) was completed in 1539.
The Palace of the Doges was restored in 1992, in occasion of the celebrations of Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
and the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America.
The palace originated from the acquisition by the commune of Genoa
Republic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
of houses of the Doria between San Matteo and San Lorenzo churches (1291), after which the construction of an annexed new building was started. To this, in 1294, a tower of the Fieschi family was added. The palace was restored in the 1590s by Andrea Ceresola and, in the 17th century, received frescoes by Giovanni Battista Carlone
Giovanni Battista Carlone
Giovanni Battista Carlone was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mainly in Genoa.Carlone was born and died in Genoa. He came from a family of artists: his father Taddeo was a sculptor and his older brother Giovanni Bernardo Carlone, a well-trained painter. He may have had some...
(1655) and Domenico Fiasella
Domenico Fiasella
Domenico Fiasella was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, mainly active in Genoa. He was nicknamed Il Sarzana, after his birthplace.-Biography:...
, in the Ducal Chapel. In 1777 it was subject to a fire, and was subsequently rebuilt in Neoclassicist style.
On the main floor, the so called Piano Nobile
Piano nobile
The piano nobile is the principal floor of a large house, usually built in one of the styles of classical renaissance architecture...
, are the frescoed halls of the Maggior and Minor Consiglio, where many public events take place.
In July 2001 the Palace hosted the G8 Summit
27th G8 summit
-Overview:The Group of Seven was an unofficial forum which brought together the heads of the richest industrialized countries: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada starting in 1976. The G8, meeting for the first time in 1997, was formed with the addition...
, which was attended by the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, United Kingdom and United States.