FAI Days – Visit to the Hotel Bristol Palace | Hotel Bristol Palace

FAI Days – Visit to the Hotel Bristol Palace

23/03/2019 - 15:00 | 24/03/2019 - 17:30

It will be a historical and artistic journey to rediscover Piazza De Ferrari, the ‘square of the Genoese,’ the heart of the 27th edition of FAI Spring Days in Genoa, on Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24. The FAI Delegation of Genoa offers a route through the city center, ideally starting from the headquarters of the Liguria Region, which sponsors the event, and passing through Palazzo Doria De Ferrari Galliera and the Accademia Ligustica di Belle Arti, culminating at the beginning of Via XX Settembre, with a special visit to the Hotel Bristol Palace, exclusively for FAI members. Like a journey through time, FAI Genoa and FAI Giovani Genova volunteers will guide visitors from the era of Piazza San Domenico to the present day, exploring the architecture and urban developments that have shaped the history and transformation of the city’s main square.

Info and Reservations

Once known as the Palazzo della Navigazione Generale Italiana and today the seat of the Regional Council, the Palazzo della Regione Liguria will open its main gate—crafted by Bartolomeo Pinasco, a master of artistic ironwork—to allow access to the grand interior staircase. The staircase makes a striking visual impression, illuminated by a large chandelier in wrought iron and opaline glass.

Today the headquarters of Banco BPM S.p.A., which has made it exceptionally accessible for FAI Spring Days, Palazzo Doria De Ferrari Galliera is a complex architectural ensemble composed of three distinct buildings included in the list of Palazzi dei Rolli. The visit offers a remarkable journey through time, spanning three centuries of history—from its construction under the Doria family in the 16th and 17th centuries, to the redesign carried out by architect Carlo Barabino at the beginning of the 19th century. Inside, visitors can admire precious frescoes by Giovanni Battista Carlone (1603–1677), Lorenzo De Ferrari (1680–1744), and Michele Canzio (1787–1868).

Also on Piazza De Ferrari, beneath the portico that extends to the Teatro Carlo Felice, stands the Accademia Ligustica di Belle Arti in Genoa, which serves both as an art school and a museum. Founded in 1751, it has been housed since 1831 in the Piazza De Ferrari building constructed on the site of the demolished convent of San Domenico, designed by Carlo Barabino. On the occasion of FAI Spring Days, some historical plans—preserved in a bundle of the Academy’s Historical Archive and recently rediscovered by the Museum Curator Giulio Sommariva—will be on display for the first time. Visits, which will include both the school’s classrooms and the museum, will also be guided by students of the Academy.

For FAI members, the route from Piazza De Ferrari continues to the beginning of Via XX Settembre, leading to the enchanting Art Nouveau building of the Hotel Bristol Palace, where visitors can admire the impressive elliptical marble staircase, traditionally said to have inspired director Alfred Hitchcock for his 1958 film Vertigo, starring James Stewart and Kim Novak, released in Italy under the title La donna che visse due volte.

As usual, the program also includes a visit to Barbieria Giacalone in Vicolo Caprettari, an historic Art Nouveau–Decò barber shop dating back to 1922.

All sites will be open on Saturday, March 23, and Sunday, March 24, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with the last entry at 5:30 PM, except for the Hotel Bristol Palace, which is reserved for FAI members and open from 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM. All guided tours are by voluntary contribution, starting from 5 euros. At all open sites, it will also be possible to become a FAI member.

"Once again this year, we wanted to focus FAI Spring Days on a symbolic place in our city, which we all think we know thoroughly, but which—thanks to the visits led by our volunteers, university professors, and art historians—can still offer new insights and original perspectives,' explains Sonia Asaro, Head of the FAI Genoa Delegation. 'Every year, the collaboration and synergy with public institutions and private entities make this change of perspective possible. For this reason, I especially want to thank Regione Liguria, Banco BPM, the Accademia Ligustica di Belle Arti, and Hotel Bristol Palace, who welcomed us into their homes."