Description of the attraction
Palazzo Ducale, or the Doge's Palace, is a historic building in Genoa that was once the residence of the city's rulers and today houses a museum. It also hosts a variety of cultural events and art exhibitions. The palace was built in the very center of Genoa: it has two entrances and, accordingly, two facades - one overlooks Piazza Matteotti, the other overlooks Piazza Ferrari.
The first premises of the Palazzo were built between 1251 and 1275 during the heyday of the Genoese Republic, and the Torre Grimaldina tower, also known as the People's Tower, was not built until 1539. In 1992, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America by the most famous native of Genoa, Christopher Columbus, the Doge's Palace was restored.
Once on the site of the Palazzo was the house of the influential Genoese family Doria, and nearby were the churches of San Matteo and San Lorenzo. After the government of Genoa bought the house and the adjacent buildings, the construction of the palace began. In 1294, the Fieschi tower was added to it. The first restoration of the Palazzo was undertaken in the 1590s under the direction of Andrea Ceresola, and in the 17th century frescoes by Giovanni Battista Carlone and Domenico Fiasella appeared in the doge's private chapel. The building was severely damaged by a fire in 1777, but the palace was quickly rebuilt and rebuilt in a neoclassical style.
On the first floor of the Palazzo - the so-called mezzanine - today you can see the halls of the Great and Small Soviets painted with frescoes, in which various public events are held. In July 2001, the Doge's Palace hosted the G8 Summit of Heads of State, which was attended by the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Great Britain, the United States and Russia.
