With 32 hectares and 18 kilometres of paths, the Historical Park of Villa Duchessa di Galliera is the largest public park in Liguria.
It is the ideal destination for a Sunday outing when you can relax on the lawns and the children can feed the deer and Tibetan goats.
Inside the park, there is an Italian garden, a theatre dating from 1785 (the oldest private theatre in Liguria), a romantic forest, a neo-Romanesque castle with caves and artificial waterfalls, and an ancient sanctuary.
There is also a beautiful playground for children right at the entrance.
Let’s find out how to get to the Historical Park of Villa Duchessa di Galliera with all the information for the visit.
Let’s set off!
Where it is located
The Historical Park of Villa Duchessa di Galliera is located in the Genoese district of Voltri in Vico Nicolò da Corte 2.
How to get there
By car, take the Genoa Voltri exit off the motorway (A10 Genoa-Ventimiglia).
From Genoa it takes about 25 minutes.
The advice is not to go directly to the park because there is no parking near the entrance.
It is better to set Via Camozzini on the Aurelia on your navigator, where there are three parking areas from which you can reach the park in 10 minutes on foot.
On the opposite side of the park, there is another entrance which we do not recommend, however, either because the road to get there is winding or because there is no parking.
Genova Voltri railway station is 500 metres from the park entrance (from Genova Piazza Principe it takes about 30 minutes).
Villa Duchessa di Galliera Park
If you have small children, equip yourself with a pram because the park is immense.
As soon as you pass through the lower entrance and up a flight of stairs, the Palazzo Brignole Sale stands out imposingly in front of you and, in front, the Italian-style garden consisting of six flower beds with a fountain in the centre.
The villa building houses the nursery and primary school, so it cannot be visited except on special occasions.
We continue, passing a beautiful children’s play area in the shade of the trees.
The walk inside the park is a continuous marvel! Not to be missed:
- the Lion Valley, restored in spring 2022, in which a forest inspired by the Divine Comedy has been created, with the gate to the underworld, the lonza and the monument to Dante Alighieri and Gabriello Chiabrera.
- The cave split by a waterfall from the cavern located in the castle’s basement.
- The olive grove, located on the Givi hill, from which there is a wonderful sea view.
- The marvellous lawn where you can spread out your tarp and have a picnic near the enclosures with fallow deer and Tibetan goats.
- The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Graces, located on the hill above the park, which, during the Christmas period, displays a nativity scene with statues from the school of Maragliano.
A bit of history
Villa Brignole Sale Duchessa di Galliera is a Genoese aristocratic villa whose garden became famous in the first half of the 19th century for its camellias and citrus collection.
The villa was purchased in 1675 by Giovanni Francesco Brignole Sale, the 102nd doge of the Republic of Genoa.
In the following years, the villa was enlarged and the panoramic terraces, historic theatre, English park and romantic garden were built, the latter at the behest of Maria Brignole Sale De Ferrari, Duchess of Galliera and last owner.
In 1888, the duchess bequeathed the villa to the Opera Pia Brignole Sale and, since 1931, it has been in use by the Municipality of Genoa.
Maria Brignole Sale, wife of Marquis Raffaele De Ferrari (to whom De Ferrari Square, Genoa’s main square, is dedicated) was responsible for the birth of the first Genoese museums, thanks to the donation of Palazzo Rosso and Palazzo Bianco, the main headquarters of the Strada Nuova Museums, to the City Council.
Inside the villa, there are still underground bunkers, dormitories, and anti-aircraft emplacements as, during the Second World War, it was a shelter for German troops.
After several years of neglect, the Genoa City Council carried out major restoration work so that today, also thanks to an association of volunteers employed by the City Council, the park is well maintained and it is a pleasure to stroll along its manicured paths.
Villa Duchessa di Galliera Historical Park: visiting information
Admission to the park is free. Guided tours organised by volunteers are, however, subject to payment.
The park is open all year round from 8 a.m. until sunset.
The garden, which is always visible from above, is open three afternoons a week (Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday).
In the event of a weather alert, the park is closed.
For up-to-date information, have a look at the official website.
Our advice is to bring a sack lunch and a towel (picnic tables can also be found) to spend the whole day inside!
Nearby:
2. Villa Durazzo Pallavicini in Pegli
3. Mount Gazzo
