The Rolli palaces and the old town

Gold glints off stucco along Via Garibaldi, the smell of cappuccino drifts out by Palazzo Tursi, and San Lorenzo’s bells mark the hour. The Rolli palaces—on UNESCO’s list since 2006—were Genoa’s state guesthouses in the 16th century, welcoming princes and envoys. Palazzo Rosso hangs Van Dyck and Veronese, Palazzo Bianco converses with Caravaggio, and Doria-Tursi preserves Paganini’s “Il Cannone” violin. Six hundred meters away, the striped marble of San Lorenzo sets the rhythm before the caruggi funnel you, alley by alley, toward the old harbor.

Your driver collects you at the hotel in a Mercedes and stays on hand with flexible stops. In Genoa with a private chauffeur, you cover ground smartly: drop-off at Piazza Fontane Marose to walk Via Garibaldi, then a 1.2 km hop to San Lorenzo and a guided weave through the caruggi to Sottoripa. You tour while your driver handles ZTL access, one-way streets, and parking. Grab focaccia at Sciamadda di Vico Inferiore; as you taste, the vehicle repositions to the agreed exit point for the next leg or a smooth return.