Palazzo Doria (Doria Palace), Genoa

Palazzo Doria, otherwise known as Palazzo Gio Battista Spinola or Palazzo Andrea e Gio Batta Spinola, is the palace situated at 6 Via Garibaldi. This was one of the 163 Palazzi dei Rolli of Genoa originally selected to accommodate notable guests of the Republic of Genoa back in the old days.

The site on which the building stands was purchased, via auction, in 1551 by Constantino Gentile; he later sold it, for a double price, to the brothers Giambattista and Andrea Spinola. The brothers commissioned construction of the palace in 1563. In 1566, Andrea passed his share of ownership to Giambattista, which sped up the construction; by 1567 it was almost completed.

Until recently, Giovanni Battista Castello was believed to be the chief architect of the building. However, the documents unearthed in 1968 revealed Bernardino Cantone to be the one in charge. Only the fireplace on the “piano nobile” (main floor), and the internal courtyard are still attributed to Castello.

Palazzo Doria was the only palace in Strada Nuova (current Via Garibaldi) to be seriously damaged by the French naval bombing in 1684. The ensued restoration of the building, performed by architect Gio Antonio Ricca, saw addition of a story and redesign of the whole façade. Still, the 17th-century alterations did not affect the original sequence of the atrium, courtyard and garden created by Castello.

In 1723, the palace was purchased by the Doria family. The Dorias did not see any need for refurbishing the property beyond routine repairs and only added a notable lantern in the atrium with their family coat of arms.

Presently, the palace still remains the property of the Doria family, as their residence. Only the exterior and limited internal areas are open to the public.