Genoa: Le Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli
The Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei
Rolli in Genoa’s historic centre date from the late 16th and early 17th
centuries when the Republic of Genoa was at the height of its financial
and seafaring power. The site represents the first example in Europe of
an urban development project parcelled out by a public authority within a
unitary framework and associated to a particular system of ‘public
lodging’ in private residences, as decreed by the Senate in 1576. The
site includes an ensemble of Renaissance and Baroque palaces along the
so-called ‘new streets’ (Strade Nuove). The Palazzi dei Rolli offer an
extraordinary variety of different solutions, achieving universal value
in adapting to the particular characteristics of the site and to the
requirements of a specific social and economic organization. They also
offer an original example of a public network of private residences
designated to host state visits.