Italy Guide
Liguria
The Palazzo Reale
At Via Balbi 10 stands the vast Palazzo Reale Opening time: Tues & Wed 9am–1.30pm, Thurs– Sun 9am–7pmPrice: €4 
www.palazzorealegenova.it , built by the Balbi family in the early seventeenth century and later occupied by the Durazzo dynasty and the Savoyard royals. The stunning hall of mirrors on the first floor prompted Joseph II, Emperor of Austria, to say that the palace appeared more of a royal residence than his own simple pad back in Vienna. Doors from here lead through to the private quarters of the Duke of Genoa, with the duke's bedchamber featuring a sumptuous Baroque ceiling fresco and the duke's bathroom holding elegant English furniture.On the way back through to the east wing of the building, you pass along a chapel gallery behind the ballroom, covered in trompe-l'oeil frescoes by Lorenzo de Ferrari (1733). The adjacent throne room, its walls covered in deep red velvets and an excess of gold, is dotted with dozens of "C.A." monograms in honour of Carlo Alberto, King of Savoy.