Interior of the loggia
by ALESSI, Galeazzo, Photo
The villa, built on the slopes of the Albaro hill, was commissioned in the summer of 1548 by the aristocratic Luca Giustiniani to architect Galeazzo Alessi from Perugia. The architect designed the building as a compact block, apparently disconnected from the garden surrounding it, which once extended to the sea but today is divided into various public parks. The style developed by Alessi for this building became a model and a source of inspiration for several other noble villas in Genoa.
The ancient residence remained property of the Giustiniani family until 1787 when it passed to the Cambiaso family. The villa became property of the Municipality of Genoa in 1921 and is today the seat of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Genoa.