# Genoa: 42 listed palaces, most of them private

> The 2006 World Heritage listing names 42 palaces out of more than 100 still standing. The aquarium holds 400 animal species on 12,000 square meters.

URL: https://myitalia.it/towns/genova
Last updated: 2026-09-02

Genoa's World Heritage listing of 2006 covers 42 palaces picked from the more than 100 still standing in the old town, and only a handful of them open their doors on an ordinary day.

## What the 42 actually are

The site called Le Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli was inscribed in 2006 and names 42 Renaissance and Baroque palaces, lined along via Garibaldi, via Balbi, via Cairoli, via Lomellini and via San Luca.

They were built as private houses that the Republic drafted into a public duty: hosting visiting dignitaries by lot. Most are still private, or hold offices and a bank or two. The ones open on a stable basis are Palazzo Rosso, Palazzo Bianco, Palazzo Doria-Tursi, Palazzo Spinola and Palazzo Reale. Read [Genoa lodged guests by lottery](/stories/genoa-lodged-guests-by-lottery) and the Rolli.

## Three palaces on one ticket

The Musei di Strada Nuova combine Palazzo Rosso, Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Doria-Tursi, over 75 rooms together, on a single ticket at €14 full and €9 reduced that also admits you to the Museo di Sant'Agostino. Prices in euros.

Between April 20 and September 30, 2026 the hours are 10:00 am to 7:00 pm (19:00 on Italian signs), and on Mondays only Palazzo Rosso opens. They close on December 25. Doria-Tursi is also the city hall, so parts of it work as offices while you walk through.

## The aquarium, measured

The building holds 12,000 square meters of exhibition space, 400 animal species and 200 plant species, on Ponte Spinola in the Porto Antico. The parking in the same area has 167 spaces.

That size means three hours minimum, and it is the busiest indoor attraction in Liguria on a wet day in August. Going at opening or in the last two hours is the difference between watching the tanks and watching the backs of other people.

## Four prices for the same visit

An adult pays €26 for a fixed date ticket bought online, €34 at the ticket desk, and €38 for the Open Flexi that lets you turn up on any day. Children aged 4 to 12 start at €16, over 65s, military and disabled visitors at €20, and children up to 3 go free (2026).

The AcquarioVillage package is €51, the Biosfera €6 and the Bigo panoramic lift €6. The gap between €26 and €34 is entirely about committing to a date, which is worth doing if your plans are firm.

## The Lanterna: 77 meters, on foot only

The lighthouse stands 77 meters tall, the tallest in the Mediterranean, in the shape it took in 1543 on foundations laid in 1128, and its light carries 50 km out to sea. Inside, 172 steps reach the first terrace and 365 the summit.

You get there along an 800 meter pedestrian walkway from the Dinegro metro station, or on bus line 1. There is no road access for visitors, which keeps the crowds down and rules the place out if stairs are a problem. See the Lanterna and [Liguria](/regions/liguria).

## FAQ

### Can you go inside the Rolli palaces?

Only some of them. The 2006 listing covers 42 palaces out of more than 100 still standing, and most are private or in office use. Palazzo Rosso, Palazzo Bianco, Palazzo Doria-Tursi, Palazzo Spinola and Palazzo Reale are the ones open on a regular basis.

### How much is the Genoa aquarium?

€26 for an adult with a fixed date ticket bought online, €34 at the desk on the day, €38 for the Open Flexi. Children aged 4 to 12 start at €16, over 65s and disabled visitors at €20, and under 4s go free. The AcquarioVillage package is €51 (2026).

### What does the Strada Nuova ticket include?

Palazzo Rosso, Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Doria-Tursi, over 75 rooms in all, plus the Museo di Sant'Agostino, for €14 full or €9 reduced. From April 20 to September 30, 2026 they open 10:00 am to 7:00 pm, and on Mondays only Palazzo Rosso opens.

### How many steps are there up the Lanterna?

172 to the first viewing terrace, and 365 in total to the summit. The tower is 77 meters tall, the tallest lighthouse in the Mediterranean, and you reach it on foot along an 800 meter walkway from the Dinegro metro station or on bus line 1.

### How big is the aquarium in Genoa?

12,000 square meters of exhibition space, with 400 animal species and 200 plant species. It stands on Ponte Spinola in the Porto Antico, where the public parking holds 167 cars, so arriving on foot from the old town is usually simpler.

## Sources

| Fact | Source | Confidence | Valid until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Il sito UNESCO 'Le Strade Nuove e il sistema dei Palazzi dei Rolli' di Genova, iscritto nel 2006, comprende 42 palazzi rinascimentali e barocchi selezionati fra gli oltre cento ancora esistenti nel centro storico, allineati lungo via Garibaldi, via Balbi, via Cairoli, via Lomellini e via San Luca. | [Rolli e Strade Nuove - Comune di Genova](https://www.rolliestradenuove.it/en/the-unesco-site/); [Visit Genoa - Comune di Genova](https://www.visitgenoa.it/it/palazzi-dei-rolli-patrimonio-unesco_) | high | 2099-12-31 |
| I Musei di Strada Nuova di Genova (Palazzo Rosso, Palazzo Bianco e Palazzo Doria-Tursi, oltre settantacinque sale in tutto) si visitano con un biglietto cumulativo da 14 euro intero e 9 euro ridotto che include anche il Museo di Sant'Agostino; dal 20 aprile al 30 settembre 2026 l'orario e' 10.00-19.00 e il lunedi' e' aperto il solo Palazzo Rosso. | [Musei di Genova - Comune di Genova](https://www.museidigenova.it/it/musei-di-strada-nuova) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| L'Acquario di Genova ha 12.000 metri quadrati di superficie espositiva e ospita 400 specie animali e 200 specie vegetali; l'area del Porto Antico dispone di un parcheggio da 167 posti. | [Acquario di Genova - Costa Edutainment](https://www.acquariodigenova.it/) | medium | 2028-12-31 |
| L'ingresso all'Acquario di Genova costa 26 euro per gli adulti con biglietto a data fissa acquistato online, 34 euro in biglietteria e 38 euro con il biglietto Open Flexi; i bambini 4-12 anni partono da 16 euro, gli over 65 e i disabili da 20 euro, i bambini fino a 3 anni sono gratis (2026). | [Acquario di Genova - Costa Edutainment](https://www.acquariodigenova.it/biglietti) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| La Lanterna di Genova e' alta 77 metri ed e' il faro piu' alto del Mediterraneo: la torre ha assunto la forma attuale nel 1543 su fondazioni del 1128, si sale con 172 gradini fino alla prima terrazza panoramica (365 in tutto fino alla sommita') e la si raggiunge a piedi con una passeggiata pedonale di circa 800 metri dalla stazione metro di Dinegro. | [Lanterna di Genova](https://www.lanternadigenova.com/) | medium | 2028-12-31 |

## Image

https://media.myitalia.it/media/city.genova.v2.1600.jpg
Author: Giogio1988. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vista_Genova_Boccadasse.jpg

## Other languages

- it: https://myitalia.it/it/paesi/genova.md
- es: https://myitalia.it/es/pueblos/genova.md
- fr: https://myitalia.it/fr/villages/genova.md
- de: https://myitalia.it/de/orte/genova.md