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Begun in 1752 for the Marquis di Gabiano, Giacomo Filippo Durazzo II, this villa is a superbly innovative example of 18th-century residential architecture. It features a layout characteristic of French aristocratic residences, with a central body and two side wings around a wide courtyard, a rather unusual structure for its Genoese setting, where the most common 16th-style architectural styles still prevailed at the time.
The building's interior, characterised by an impressive cantilevered marble staircase, hosts two paintings by Francesco Solimena, dating to circa 1717.
The first major event to change the appearance of the park came in 1856: the new Genova-Voltri railway line, which cut off the building's connection to the sea. In 1778, the residence was remodelled by the Genoese Andrea Tagliafichi.
The building has changed hands several times throughout its history. In 1865, the villa became the property of the royal house of Savoy, and King Vittorio Emanuele II chose it as a summer residence for his son, Prince Oddone of Savoy. Following the prince's untimely death in 1866, the villa was once again placed on the market. In 1872, it was purchased by the knight Patrone, and at the end of the 19th century by the Bombrini family. In the 20th century, it became the property of various Genoese companies (principally Ansaldo and Italsider), which set up their offices within it. Since 2008, the building has been owned by "Per Cornigliano", an organisation established with the specific aim of reclaiming the de-industrialised areas of Genoa's Cornigliano neighbourhood. It is also the headquarters of the Genova Liguria Film Commission.
The c. 6000-square-metre park was renovated and opened to the public in 2009; every summer, it hosts a variety of cultural events, exhibitions, music events, shows and conferences. (www.visitgenoa.it)
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Genoa A city of art, the capital of Liguria in northern Italy and metropolis looking onto the sea, Genoa has grown up around the city's port - a natural cove that has always been the site of thriving traffic and commerce. Its ancient heart, Europe's biggest historic medieval center, is crisscrossed by a tight weave of alleys that capture the multicultural soul that has always characterized the city's history. Here, among workshops, eateries, and beautiful shops, glimmers a glimpse of the noble past of Genoa, "La Superba", consisting of sixteenth-century villas, Baroque votive aedicules, and prestigious churches giving onto small squares nestled between the buildings. Modernity is a few steps away, in places returned to the people and tourists by restoration and great urban renewal projects conducted over the last decade. Genoa offers a dizzying mix of the old and the new. The Expo with the Aquarium, Via San Lorenzo, the Palazzo Ducale, and the splendid Via Garibaldi full of museums. The city's charm can also be found in the numerous delegations from Nervi to Voltri - autonomous cities until the 20's - where visitors can explore villas surrounded by nineteenth-century parks, picturesque sea strolls, and museums large and small. Text: www.turismo.comune.genova.it
