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Grimaldi Palace of the Meridiana

Grimaldi Palace of the Meridiana was built by Gerolamo Grimaldi Oliva (1493-1557), a Genoese banker between 1541 and 1545; the main access was on the San Francesco climb. Neither the route nor the buildings of Strada Nuova (now Via Garibaldi) existed yet.

Gerolamo Grimaldi left the Palace to his son, Battista, who completed the internal decoration of the palace with interventions by Bergamasco, Luca Cambiaso, Perolli, Lazzaro Calvi and Giò Batta Castello; in the same years the north façade was frescoed with "Labours of Hercules" (Aurelio Busso). In that period the route of "Strada Nuova" was traced and the sumptuous buildings that crown it began to be built.

Subsequently (1778 – 1786) “Strada Nuovissima” (today Via Cairoli) was opened: the Piazza (today Piazza della Meridiana) was created in connection with “Strada Nuova”. The south façade of the Palace was thus renovated based on a design by Giacomo Brusco. The square thus took the name of "Piazza della Meridiana" for the beautiful sundial that was built on the facade of Palazzo Grimaldi.

Numerous changes of ownership occurred in the 19th century, from the Grimaldi di Geraci to the Serra di Cassano, to the Odero, to the De Mari and to the Mongiardino. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Mackenzie family rented the Palazzo from the Mongiardino family and commissioned the architect Gino Coppedè to adapt it to house their offices. On this occasion, in addition to new constructions in the rear garden area, the internal courtyard was covered with an Art Nouveau skylight, the "grotesques" of its vaults were renewed and the internal decoration was carried out in the staircase, in the atrium and in the hall. Cambiaso.

During the First World War it was the site of a military hospital.

Since the 1950s, the building has been used as offices for the Municipality of Genoa, until 2004.

The building was purchased in 2004 by the company Palazzo Meridiana srl (Gruppo Viziano), which financed and oversaw the complete and philological conservative restoration, reopening these spectacular environments with a new, more modern logic, which combines the museum aspect with Use for events and receptions, residential and commercial purposes.

The first partial reopening of the building took place in 2010 for the FAI days.

Since July 2011, the Palace has also hosted exhibitions: on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy, the Liguria Region section of the Venice Biennale was hosted.

In July 2006 the 42 Palazzi dei Rolli of Genoa - of which Palazzo Grimaldi della Meridiana is part - were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Map: Grimaldi Palace of the Meridiana