{"id":5218,"date":"2022-11-28T11:48:24","date_gmt":"2022-11-28T16:48:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/panoramitalia.com\/?p=5218"},"modified":"2022-11-29T04:45:45","modified_gmt":"2022-11-29T09:45:45","slug":"the-italian-city-where-the-houses-are-fit-for-royalty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/panoramitalia.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/28\/the-italian-city-where-the-houses-are-fit-for-royalty\/","title":{"rendered":"The Italian city where the houses are fit for royalty"},"content":{"rendered":"

(CNN) \u2014 It’s the Italian city home to palaces so spectacular that they’re UNESCO World Heritage sites. A city that was once home to so much wealth that the local aristocracy lived in environments literally fit for a king, and the place where Rubens began his great artistic career.<\/p>

Rome? Florence? The Grand Canal-facing palaces of Venice? <\/p>

Nope: Genoa. <\/p>

Seen by many as “just” a port city — one whose approach by water is often marred by ugly postwar urban development and the sprawling port itself, which stretches nearly 14 miles along the waterfront — the capital of Liguria is in fact one of Italy’s most spectacular cities.<\/p>

It’s home to what’s said to be the most intact medieval city center in Europe, and beautiful art nouveau architecture in its “new” area (yes, this is a city where “new” is still old). <\/p>

But what drew UNESCO’s attention in 2006 was the Palazzi dei Rolli, or Rolli Palaces — a system of aristocratic mansions so spectacular that they were used as proto-hotels for visiting dignitaries and even royalty.<\/p>