The royal via Balbi is one of the most important streets in the center of Genoa a few steep from Principe station and close to Porto Antico, via Garibaldi and the Old Town (check out the routes 1 to discover the Historical Center of Genoa).
It was completed in 1619. Today it is a university area, hosting various faculties of the University of Genoa. The street was dedicated to the Balbi family, who financed the project and built a large number of buildings were listed as Palazzi dei Rolli, which have become UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The superb Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace) was included in this list. Palazzo Reale, which has preserved its 17th-18th century interiors intact, is now a museum-residence (Museo Statale di Palazzo Reale).
The importance of completing Via Balbi was comparable to the birth of Strada Nuova, which had occurred about one century before (go to the historical insight).
