Villa Gropallo

Villa Gropallo dates from the second half of the eighteenth century and takes its name from its first owner, Marquis Gaetano Gropallo. Its rooms combine several styles; an unusual Moorish bay window enriches the interior, while wrought-iron canopies distinguish the exterior.

Still the Gropallo family’s country residence in the mid-nineteenth century, the villa was surrounded by a large English-style garden that reached the sea before the railway was built. Purchased by the Municipality of Genoa in 1927, it first housed the tourist board and the visitors’ club; it now accommodates the V. Brocchi municipal library and the local Carabinieri station.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century the Marquis radically redesigned the park, replacing olive groves, vines and citrus trees with palms, cedars of Lebanon and other exotic species. Highlights include the bright lawn in front of the villa, the avenue of sclerophylls with ancient holm oaks, and the palm avenue once admired by the family’s guests. Notable specimens include eucalyptus, a majestic ombú, Jubaea palms, Araucaria bidwillii and cycads.

A nineteenth-century account recalls a visit on foot to Villa Gropallo and then to the sea promenade. Il Secolo XIX, 31 March–1 April 1893.

Gallery

Villa Gropallo — palme

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Villa Gropallo — Ulivi

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