Palazzo Bianco
Civic picture gallery on Strada Nuova with the Ligurian school of painting and important Flemish, Spanish and Italian works from the 16th to the 18th century.
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About the museum
Palazzo Bianco was built between 1530 and 1540 for Luca Grimaldi, in a still peripheral area, and is both the oldest and one of the most recent buildings on Strada Nuova (today Via Garibaldi). Of the original building only the two statues of Jupiter and Janus by Pierre Franqueville, dating from 1585, remain visible. After various changes of ownership it was bought in 1711 by Maria Durazzo Brignole-Sale, who in 1712 had the structure completely rebuilt with the façade on Strada Nuova; the stucco decoration of the façade dates from 1714–1716. The name “Bianco” (white) was given to distinguish it from the nearby Palazzo Rosso, because of the pale colour of its external cladding.
In the 18th and 19th centuries the palace was rented to collectors, who enriched it with art collections described in the guides of the time. In 1884 the Duchess of Galliera, Maria Brignole-Sale De Ferrari, bequeathed it to the Comune di Genova together with a nucleus of works and income intended to enlarge the collections, with the aim of creating a public gallery which the city still lacked.
The collections grew through bequests and donations, including those of Antonio Samengo (1887), Giovanni Ricci (1892), Casa Piola (1913) and Enrico L. Peirano (1926), in addition to funds of civic origin. Palazzo Bianco became the hub of the city's museum system and received several successive displays, up to the famous intervention by the architect Franco Albini. Today, together with Palazzo Rosso and Palazzo Tursi, it is part of the Musei di Strada Nuova, within the Palazzi dei Rolli system, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; a passage links it to Palazzo Tursi.
Highlights
- Genoese school of painting from the 16th to the 18th century
- Important collection of Flemish and Northern painting of the 16th and 17th centuries
- Spanish and Italian masterpieces, including Murillo and Zurbarán
- Display by Franco Albini
- Garden and terrace of the palace
Permanent exhibitions
- Pinacoteca di Palazzo Bianco – Route through the civic picture gallery, with paintings of the Ligurian school and of Flemish, Spanish and Italian masters from the 16th to the 18th century.
- Il Settecento e le arti decorative a Palazzo Tursi – The route continues in the adjacent Palazzo Tursi with 18th-century painting, Canova's Penitent Magdalene, coins, ceramics and Paganini's violins.
- Founded
- 1884
- Operated by
- Comune di Genova
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €14 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €9holders of the ticket for the exhibition “Van Dyck l’Europeo” at Palazzo Ducale (until 19 July 2026); for young people aged 18 to 25 the ticket costs €2 |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free admission until the age of 18. |
| Seniors | –Throughout August, free admission for visitors over 65. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission with a European Disability Card or appropriate certification; free for the companion too. |
| Students & apprentices | –Free admission for teachers and students of some departments of the University of Genoa and the Accademia Ligustica; for EU school groups with booking. |
| Reduced ticket for young people aged 18 to 25 | €2 |
| Genova Museum Card 24 hours | €24Purchase in the online shop of the Musei di Genova. |
| Genova Museum Card 48 hours | €45Purchase in the online shop of the Musei di Genova. |
Free admission: Free admission for residents of the Metropolitan City of Genoa every Sunday and in the last time slot of the day (for the Musei di Strada Nuova, entry between 17:00 and 17:30); free admission for over-65s throughout August.
The admission ticket (full price €14, reduced €9) is a combined ticket valid for the Musei di Strada Nuova (Palazzo Rosso, Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Tursi) and for the Museo di Sant'Agostino. Free admission also for journalists, tour guides, ICOM members, teachers with a school card, and people visiting for documented study or research. The price may change for special events or temporary exhibitions. The annual Genova Museum Card costs €60, €50 for residents and €25 for students.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The whole exhibition area is accessible: the visit takes place over three levels served by a lift, and part of the route is in the adjacent Palazzo Tursi. Wheelchair users enter through the bookshop, from which a ramp leads to the ground floor and the lift. A wheelchair is available on loan (booking recommended). Accessible toilets in the entrance hall and on the second floor. In the education room a rotating table allows blind visitors to explore the vases on display by touch; the multisensory route with tactile maps and videos in LIS is in Palazzo Rosso. Parking for disabled parking permit holders: 4 spaces in Piazza delle Fontane Marose. Information and bookings: +39 348 441 7932.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
The Educational Services periodically offer activities for families, including on the occasion of the national days F@MU and KidPass, to bring adults and children closer to the collections together.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Piazza Fontane Marose
Bus: line 18 (Pronto Soccorso S. Martino – Brignole – Sampierdarena), line 20 (Foce – De Ferrari – Principe – Sampierdarena), line 34 (Staglieno – Manin – Largo Zecca – Stazione Principe). Metro: De Ferrari stop, then about 5 minutes on foot. Funiculars: Sant'Anna (Portello and Bertani/Magenta stops) and Zecca-Righi (Zecca stop).
By car
Autopark Piccapietra with 500 spaces about 600 metres away; 4 spaces reserved for disabled parking permit holders in Piazza delle Fontane Marose.
- Accessible parking
The Via Garibaldi area is in the historic centre of Genoa.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
The bookshop with the ticket office is in the building of the Musei di Strada Nuova.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | During the Rolli Days access is allowed only by reservation and with guided tours along a selected route of rooms and works. Some spaces and works may not always be visitable because of displays, restorations or loans. The Dogs & Museum service allows you to entrust your dog to a dog sitter during the visit. |
