The palazzo Giorgio Spinola is a building located in Salita Santa Caterina, salita di Santa Caterina at no. 4 in

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...

, included on 13 July

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

in the list of the 42 palaces inscribed in the

Rolli di Genova Genoa: Le Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which includes a number of streets and palaces in the center of Genoa, in Northwestern Italy. * The ''Strade Nuove'' (Italian for "New Streets") are a ...

that became

World Heritage A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

on that date.

History and description

It appears in the

rollo Rollo ( nrf, Rou, ''Rolloun''; non, Hrólfr; french: Rollon; died between 928 and 933) was a Viking who became the first ruler of Normandy, today a region in northern France. He emerged as the outstanding warrior among the Norsemen who had se ...

1588 __NOTOC__ Events January–June * February – The Sinhalese abandon the siege of Colombo, capital of Portuguese Ceylon. * February 9 – The sudden death of Álvaro de Bazán, 1st Marquis of Santa Cruz, in the midst of pr ...

in the name of the heirs of Gio Batta Spinola, while it later passed to Agostino Ayrolo. Situated in the Spinola di Luccoli district, next to the ancient convent of Santa Caterina (founded by the Clarisse in

1228 Year 1228 ( MCCXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Sixth Crusade * Summer – Emperor Frederick II sails from Brindisi with a expeditionary f ...

), the palace would appear to predate the first inscription. The loggia staircase around the inner courtyard with

fountain A fountain, from the Latin "fons" (genitive "fontis"), meaning source or Spring (hydrology), spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect. ...

(now covered in glass cement) leads to a large area towards villetta Dinegro. Ancora un documento evidente di quanto fosse difficile «fabbrica in costa» via via che si alzavano fabbriche sul lato a monte, come era avvenuto nei palazzi a nord di Strada Nuova opportunamente tracciata in quota. In

1798 Events January–June * January – Eli Whitney contracts with the U.S. federal government for 10,000 muskets, which he produces with interchangeable parts. * January 4 – Constantine Hangerli enters Bucharest, as Prince of Wa ...

it still belonged to the Ayrolo family, who renovated it, replacing the external marble portal, updating the details of the

atrium (architecture) In architecture, an atrium (plural: atria or atriums) is a large open-air or skylight-covered space surrounded by a building. Atria were a common feature in Ancient Roman dwellings, providing light and ventilation to the interior. Modern atria, ...

, adding railings to the windows and decorating the drawing rooms. Here lived the Doge

Giovanni Battista Ayroli Giovanni Battista Ayroli (Genoa, 1731 - Genoa, 1808) was the 178th Doge of the Republic of Genoa. Biography In his Dogal mandate, the one hundred and thirty-third in biennial succession and the one hundred and seventy-eighth in republican hi ...

(1783-85).''Proposal for the inscription of Genoa Le Strade Nuove and the System of the Palazzi dei Rolli in the Unesco World Heritage List'', Volume I — Dossier, p. 60. In the

19th century The 19th (nineteenth) century began on 1 January 1801 ( MDCCCI), and ended on 31 December 1900 ( MCM). The 19th century was the ninth century of the 2nd millennium. The 19th century was characterized by vast social upheaval. Slavery was abolis ...

it passed to the Franzoni family, before

1818 Events January–March * January 1 ** Battle of Koregaon: Troops of the British East India Company score a decisive victory over the Maratha Empire. ** Mary Shelley's ''Frankenstein'' is published anonymously in London. * January 2 – ...

, and finally to the Tedeschi family. Recent maintenance has restored the square decoration of the façades facing salita di Santa Caterina and salita Di Negro.

Picture Gallery

File:PalazzoGiorgioSpinola.jpg, The facade of the palace File:PalazzoGiorgioSpinola2.jpg, The palace portal File:Palazzo Giorgio Spinola 02.jpg, The atrium fountain in the form of a nymphaeum

Notes

Bibliography

Italian sources

* Gioconda Pomella (2007), ''Guida Completa ai Palazzi dei Rolli Genova'', Genova, De Ferrari Editore() * Touring Club Italiano, Liguria, Guida d’Italia, sesta ed., Milano, 1982. * Ennio Poleggi, ''L'Invenzione dei Rolli. Genova Città di Palazzi'', in Edizioni Skira, Milano - 2004 ()

External links

Palazzo di Giorgio Spinola

Palazzo Giorgio Spinola

Palazzo Franzone
{{DEFAULTSORT:Palazzo Giorgio Spinola Palaces in Genoa World Heritage Sites in Italy