Palazzo Bianco

Palazzo Bianco is a 16th-century palace at Via Garibaldi 11 in Genoa, Liguria, Italy, one of the Rolli palaces of the historic Strada Nuova. It now houses one of the city's main art museums, with Genoese, Flemish and Spanish painting from the 16th to 18th centuries. Visitors see works by Rubens, Van Dyck and Murillo, along with Genoese masters, reflecting the wealth of the merchant and banking families who traded across Europe and commissioned foreign artists. The galleries are arranged room by room through the palace, so visitors move through the main floors much as the original residents would have. The museum is one of three institutions on the same street that share a combined ticket, together with Palazzo Rosso and Palazzo Doria-Tursi, priced at about EUR 9 for adults. Children under 18 who are EU citizens enter free, and reduced tickets cost about EUR 7. An audio guide is available for about EUR 5 and helps with the dense collection of paintings. The museum is closed on Mondays. In winter it opens Tuesday to Friday, 8:30AM to 6:00PM, and Saturday to Sunday, 9:30AM to 6:30PM, while summer hours vary, so it is best to confirm at museidigenova.it. A focused visit takes about one hour, though art enthusiasts often add time and combine it with the neighbouring palaces for a half day on Via Garibaldi. Weekday mornings are generally the quietest time, and the street itself is a UNESCO-listed ensemble of palaces that rewards a slow walk, with the facades best photographed in daylight. The palace is about 10 minutes on foot from De Ferrari metro station. Information is available on +39 010 2759185. Visitors who plan to see all three Strada Nuova museums usually start with the paintings here, then continue next door, because the shared ticket removes the need to queue again. Wearing comfortable shoes helps, as the palace floors are extensive and the galleries are laid out over several levels, with plenty of seating in the main rooms for pauses between paintings.