Palazzo Lercari-Parodi ( Lercari-Parodi Palace), Genoa

Palazzo Lercari-Parodi, or Franco Lercari, is located in Via Garibaldi at number 3.

It was built from 1571 by Franco Lercari, a wealthy banker, who also held the position of governor of the Genoese Republic in the 1770s. In 1845, another banker, Bartolomeo Parodi, bought the property; his family still owns it.

The palace, whose designer is unknown, differs from other buildings in Via Garibaldi. The lower part of the facade is decorated with diamond point ashlar, while the upper floors were originally lightened by a series of open loggias, as evident from Rubens's illustrations for the 1622 book “Palazzi di Genova”. Eventually, those loggias were closed by windows and walled up in the early 19th century.

Also on the façade is a very interesting portal, supported by two telamons with severed noses, the work of Taddeo Carlone. These depict the horrid legend of Megollo Lercari, ancestor of the owner, who took revenge on his enemies by mutilating their noses and ears.

Inside the loggia, on the first floor, there are busts of Franco Lercari and his wife, Antonia De Marini, created by Taddeo Carlone, along with the images of Emperor Charles V of Habsburg and King of Spain Philip II. The 16th-century frescoes of airy landscapes, found on the walls, are complemented by those in the vault depicting battle scenes from the Roman history and episodes from the Bible.

In the vault of the hall, on the second floor, there is a famous Genoese Mannerism-style fresco by Luca Cambiaso, featuring Megollo Lercari engaged in construction of the Genoese warehouse in Trebizond. Images of other Lercari ancestors nearby offer a glimpse of the Lercari palace in its early days, providing the idea of Strada Nuova (now Via Garibaldi)'s appearance centuries ago.