“The first palace I saw was the Brignole Palace... red façade, straight marble staircase,” wrote Gustave Flaubert in his travel notes in 1845. Nearly two centuries later, it’s now your turn to admire one of the most stunning and beloved palaces in Genoa’s historic centre. This is the Palazzo Rosso, whose story began five centuries ago. Let’s go back to 1671, when two aristocratic brothers, Rodolfo and Giovanni Francesco Brignole Sale, hired architect Pietro Antonio Corradi to bring their latest idea to life. They wanted a grand double residence, with one floor for each of them. The building was complete six years later, but work on the elaborate interior only began in 1679. A team of fresco painters and master stucco artists came together to decorate the palace’s 39 rooms, with intricate and lavish detail. In 1874, Maria Brignole Sale de Ferrari, the last heir to the property, donated the palace and its remarkable art collection to the city of Genoa. Today, this collection features works by masters like Strozzi, Van Dyck, Veronese, and others. Over time, the museum has grown to include coins, ceramics, and more, making each room an even richer experience. A true gem of Genoese culture, Palazzo Rosso was officially recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006.