Palazzo Doria-Tursi: Genoa's Historic Palace

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butterfly-jt916 hours agoPeakD4 min read

Today, I want to share some photos that I took during my little trip to Genoa, above all the thing that I like most about this seaside city are its palaces, and when I have the chance I always try to visit it, today I want to share some photos with you and also tell you a little about my experience of visiting Palazzo Doria Tursi also known as Palazzo Nicolò Grimaldi one of the most important palaces and a UNESCO heritage site only since 2006.

The palace was built in 1565 for the banker Grimaldi and eventually became a Town Hall and then the seat of the municipality of Genoa in 1850. But what I love about this palace is its architecture. In fact, there is an alternation of the pink Finale stone with white Carrara marble. But above all, what I particularly like are its interiors: the atriums, the stairs, the courtyards, these very scenic staircases, which somehow take you back in time.

Of course, in addition to the beautiful architecture to admire in these buildings, inside there are the Strada Nuova museums where you can see and touch with your hands almost the Genoese painting of the 18th century, in fact what I really like about these museums is that we can say you can visit a museum within a museum, because the container where the museum is located is already a beautiful building and therefore it is already a museum there. But if it is enriched with precious paintings and also with the beautiful Penitent Magdalene by Antonio Canova it becomes even more beautiful and even more interesting.

In fact, the marble sculpture of the Penitent Magdalene by Antonio Canova, a great architect who needs no introduction, is stunning. I had actually seen some terracotta sketches in Bassano and it was donated to Genoa in 1889 by Duchess Maria Brignole. It practically depicts Mary Magdalene kneeling on a rock with this bronze Crucifix in her hand. What strikes me most about this sculpture is the contrast between its beauty and its perfection. I am always left open-mouthed in front of these sculptures.

However, I have not shared all the photos of this museum because I do not want to take away your desire to discover it yourselves, in fact from January 1st 2026 there is a single ticket for the Strada Nuova museums which costs €14 while it was reduced to €9 for groups or people over 65 and can be visited from Tuesday to Friday from 9:00 to 19:00 and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 19:30 with closure on Mondays, therefore a visit that can be very interesting and a museum that is probably less known than the classic museums in Italy.

Summary of Strada Nuova Museums - Genoa (2026)

Palace	Location	Main Attractions	Single Ticket (from 1/1/2026)	Hours
Palazzo Rosso	Via Garibaldi 18	Picture gallery (Van Dyck, Guercino, Strozzi), baroque frescoes, Prints & Drawings Cabinet, Marcenaro Apartment	€14 full €9 reduced/over65 Free <18 EU, Genoa Sundays	Tue-Fri 9-19 Sat-Sun 10-19.30 Closed Mon
Marcenaro Apartment (3rd floor Palazzo Rosso)	Rooms 39-43	Antique+modern furnishings by Franco Albini (1955, Domus n.307), rationalist fireplace and furniture	Included in Rosso ticket	Same as Palazzo Rosso
Palazzo Doria-Tursi	Via Garibaldi 9	Genoese painting gallery, Paganini Room ("Cannone" Guarneri violin), Canova's Magdalene, ceramics, grand staircase	€14 full €9 reduced Free <18 EU	Tue-Fri 9-19 Sat-Sun 10-19 Closed Mon