Casa Carbone

About the museum

Casa Carbone is a 19th-century villa with a garden at the rear, in the centre of Lavagna, between Chiavari and Sestri Levante. It originally belonged to the Bianchi family, marble workers, then to the Raffo family, and finally to the Carbone brothers, who lived there until the end of the 20th century.

Emanuele Carbone, a bank director with a keen artistic sensibility, envisaged a public use for the house; his sister Siria completed the project, and in 1987 the property was bequeathed to the FAI – Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano. The aim was to show how middle-class families lived in Liguria before modern life made homes impersonal.

The visit centres on the Salone centrale, the only true reception room, and on a short sequence of small rooms furnished with pieces and objects inspired by the eclectic revival of past styles. The ceilings are decorated with a cycle of late-19th-century tempera paintings on Ligurian celebratory themes, and the floors with contemporary mosaics. The collection is completed by paintings, mostly from the Genoese area, dating from the 16th to 18th centuries.

Highlights

• Central hall with late-19th-century tempera ceilings
• Mosaic floors in the Ligurian tradition
• Furnishings and objects of a middle-class home between the 19th and 20th centuries
• Paintings from the Genoese area, 16th–18th century
• Garden at the rear

Permanent exhibition

• Percorso nella casa museo – Visit to the furnished rooms of the Carbone family, from the central hall to the decorated rooms, with collections of furniture, objects and paintings.

Founded

1987

Operated by

FAI – Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano

Visitors per year

approx. 2,361

Admission & discounts

Free admission for FAI members, children up to 5, INTO members, Mécènes and Bienfaiteurs Amis du Louvre, and accredited journalists.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The entrance from Piazza Cordeviola 15 gives access to the garden, the ticket office and the ground floor without steps. The house extends over two levels connected by a double flight of stairs, so visiting it is difficult for people with limited mobility. Accessible toilets on the ground floor. Guided tours in LIS by booking for groups (maximum 15 people, at least 10 days in advance).

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

By car: A12 motorway Genoa–Livorno, Lavagna exit, then Via Aurelia.

Amenities & dining

Garden at the rear; dogs are allowed in the garden on a lead, and inside the house only guide and assistance dogs.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit