Palazzo Cattaneo-Adorno (Cattaneo-Adorno Palace), Genoa

Palazzo Cattaneo-Adorno, aka Palazzo Lazzaro e Giacomo Spinola, in Via Garibaldi, is marked by numbers 8 and 10. The attribution of two house numbers is due to the fact that, although integral, the building is made up of two distinctly symmetrical structures, a feature that makes it quite unique.

The cousins Lazzaro and Giacomo Spinola built the palace at number 8 between 1583 and 1588; the one at 10 was built in 1562. The absolute symmetry, conceived by the unknown architect charged with the construction, is equally present in the facades, the layout and the gardens, as evident from the reliefs made by Rubens for his 1622 book on Genoa Palaces. The peculiarity of the double construction is still highlighted today by the presence of two identical portals facing the street.

In 1609, the western wing (number 10) was sold to Filippo Adorno. The Adorno family, whose descendants had kept the property until the 20th century, carried out its interior decoration. In particular, Giovanni Battista Adorno (1566-1638), brother of the buyer, commissioned Lazzaro Tavarone to paint a remarkable cycle of frescoes in the 1620s, featuring the exploits of the Adorno family.

The eastern wing (number 8) had changed hands several times until it finally ended up in the possession of the Cattaneo and Adorno families in the 19th century, following the marriage of Luigi Cattaneo and Viola Adorno, subsequently adopting the current name. The decoration of the eastern wing, featuring 16th-century frescoes by Giovanni Andrea Ansaldo, depicting Stories of Cupid and Psyche, is somewhat modest compared to that of the western wing richly adorned with artwork by Andrea Semino and il Bergamasco.

Throughout its existence, the edifice endured a series of renovations, either at the will of the owners, or following the events of World War II.