Over the years, on the pages of the blog of our marina in Genoa, we have written several articles related to the theme what to do in the city: we have explored the classic tourist tours in our capital as alternative activities for “returning” tourists or more demanding travelers, in search of the little-known, the authentic, the “discovery” in short. In Genoa, such gems are certainly not lacking, among majestic noble palaces, huge murals, fascinating funiculars, artistic cemeteries, trattorias that seem to have remained in the last century, and much, much more. And if someone wanted to dedicate a tour of Genoa exclusively to art? Many of the boaters who moor in the berths of our tourist port of Genoa have indulged in the discovery of Genoese museums, galleries, and art galleries, finding themselves satisfied, ecstatic, even surprised: here are the main places dedicated to art in Genoa, and how to reach them from our tourist port.

Art museums and galleries in Genoa

1. Musei di Strada Nuova: rightly omnipresent in Genoa’s tourist guides, the Genoese noble palaces included in the UNESCO World Heritage list host magnificent works of art of all kinds, including tapestries, paintings, ceramics, frescoes, among courtyards and loggias. The “new street” that hosts them, namely via Garibaldi, is just a ten-minute walk from our marina in Genoa.
2. Palazzo Reale di Genova: part of the UNESCO Heritage, the palace is a residence-museum, with paintings by some of the greatest artists of past centuries, from Van Dyck to Veronese. The Palazzo Reale is just 600 meters from Marina Porto Antico.
3. Museo d’arte orientale E. Chiossone: splendidly housed in a rationalist building by Mario Labò, surrounded by the gardens of Villetta Di Negro, it holds the collection donated to the city by Edoardo Chiossone, who lived in Tokyo in the last decades of the nineteenth century. The museum is one kilometer from our berths, and is well connected by public transport.
4. Museo d’arte contemporanea di Villa Croce: from Fontana to Manzoni, it hosts thousands of works from the Italian and international twentieth century. It is located in the residential district of Carignano and is temporarily closed for renovations.
5. Villa del Principe: the sumptuous sixteenth-century palace of Andrea Doria, enriched by the works of many Renaissance artists. It can be reached on foot from our tourist marina in Genoa in about 15 minutes, or simply by metro, thanks to the nearby Darsena stop.
6. Palazzo Spinola: part of the Rolli system, it hosts one of the most important historical art galleries in Genoa; the top two floors are occupied by the National Gallery of Liguria, among paintings, sculptures, and ceramics. Palazzo Spinola is about 600 meters from our Genoese tourist port.
7. GAM: the Modern Art Gallery is part of the Nervi Museums (along with the Wolfsoniana and the Frugone Collections that we will see shortly) and is housed in the sixteenth-century Villa Saluzzo Serra; it is located in Nervi, to be reached by car or public transport.
8. Museo Diocesano: between Palazzo Ducale and the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, the Diocesan Museum boasts – in addition to an exceptional architectural heritage – an artistic heritage rich in sculptures, paintings, illuminated manuscripts, and fabrics. In the heart of the city center, and therefore just a few minutes from the berths of our tourist port.
9. Wolfsoniana: in Nervi, a collection created by the American philanthropist Mitchell “Micky” Wolfson Jr. and donated to the city of Genoa, focusing on decorative arts and propaganda works created between the late nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth century.
10. Museo dei beni culturali Capuccini: annexed to the church of SS. Annunziata di Portoria, it gathers art works from Ligurian convents, and therefore mainly by prominent Genoese painters of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It can be reached in a few minutes from our marina in Genoa with buses of lines 18, 34, 35, or 40.
11. Raccolte Frugone: again in Nervi, this time in Villa Grimaldi Fassio, a treasure trove of canvases, marbles, and bronzes from the Belle Époque, collected by the Frugone brothers and donated to the city.
12. Pinksummer: an art gallery that positions itself as a reference point in Genoa for contemporary art, within the nearby Palazzo Ducale.
13. Il Vicolo: we close with another art gallery, which presents a mix of art and graphics, and is located a few steps from the just mentioned Palazzo Ducale.