Genoa’s Rolli Days, 16–18 October 2026: which palaces open, opening times, how to book, paid sites and tips for your visit.
Dates and times may change: always check the official website.
Twice a year Genoa throws open the doors of its aristocratic palaces: during the Rolli Days, the frescoed halls, courtyards and gardens of the 16th- and 17th-century noble residences can be visited, almost all of them for free. The autumn 2026 edition runs from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October and marks twenty years since the Palazzi dei Rolli were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
This year’s theme is “Living change”: the visits are led by science communicators who explain the palaces through their architecture, engineering and everyday life. Over forty sites open, including palaces, churches, museums and places normally closed to the public.
Each site has its own hours. The most common pattern is Friday 3–7pm and Saturday and Sunday 10am–7pm, but several palaces open only at the weekend and some on a single day: always check the page of each palace in the official programme.
Most palaces are free, but you must book on rollidays.happyticket.it: choose the palace and time slot, then show the confirmation email at the door, on your phone is fine. Booking opened on 6 October and the popular slots go quickly, so book before you travel.
A few places charge a small fee or have their own rules. Palazzo Reale and Palazzo Spinola, both National Museums, cost €2 (free under 18, but even free entry must be booked online). Villa del Principe costs €7, the Albergo dei Poveri €5, the Teatro Carlo Felice €2 and Palazzo della Meridiana €3 for its hall, gallery and garden. The climb onto the restoration scaffolding of the Basilica of Santa Maria Immacolata is also paid (€12, booking required, closed shoes).
This is the heart of the Rolli and the place to start. At number 18 is Palazzo Rosso, at number 11 Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Tursi, the city hall: together they form the Strada Nuova Museums (open Friday 3–6pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am–6pm). On the same street Palazzo Tobia Pallavicino (number 4) and Palazzo Lercari (number 3) also open.
Palazzo Reale, at number 10 Via Balbi, was once a residence of the House of Savoy: state rooms, a Hall of Mirrors and a hanging garden overlooking the port. Palazzo Balbi and the former Jesuit College, now part of the University, open on the same street.
Palazzo Spinola, in Piazza di Pellicceria, houses the National Gallery with its original furnishings; on Saturday 17 it stays open until 11pm. Villa del Principe, Andrea Doria’s residence near Piazza Principe station, is one of the largest in the city.
For the first time you can walk the panoramic walkways of the Basilica of Carignano and the historic aqueduct, on walks of about three and a half hours on Saturday and Sunday at 9am and 3pm (starting from Piazza Suppini).
Several palaces offer slots in English: Palazzo Rosso, Palazzo Bianco and Tursi, Palazzo Lercari and Palazzo Cattaneo Della Volta. They are booked on Happy Ticket like the other visits. The city also runs guided walking tours of about three hours from the tourist office at Via Garibaldi 12 (€14, reduced €12, free under 12), with an English-language departure on Saturday afternoon.
On Sunday 18 at 6pm Palazzo Tursi hosts the free concert “Paganini ai Rolli”; the Paganini Orchestra plays at Palazzo Doria Carcassi on Saturday and Sunday at 5.30pm. Children have Rolli Kids activities over the weekend. In the programme, sites accessible to visitors with reduced mobility are marked with a symbol: among them Palazzo Spinola, Palazzo Reale, Palazzo Bianco and Tursi and Palazzo Tobia Pallavicino.
All the palaces are in the old town and easy to visit on foot. Via Balbi and Villa del Principe are a short walk from Genova Piazza Principe station; for Via Garibaldi the handiest metro stop is De Ferrari. For the weekend the AMT transport company sells the MetDaily Eventi ticket: €15 for one person for two days, €24 for two people, valid on buses and the metro. The tourist office at Via Garibaldi 12r is open daily 9am–6.20pm.
Between visits, stop for focaccia or trofie with pesto: our guide to what to eat in Genoa has the local specialities.
In 1576 the Republic of Genoa, which had no royal palace, drew up an official list, the “rollo”, of the private houses best suited to host kings, cardinals and ambassadors on state visits. The houses were ranked by grandeur and guests were assigned by lot. The lists were updated until 1664. Since 2006 the Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with 42 palaces on the list.
The event takes place in Genoa (Genova).
FAQ
From Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October 2026. On Friday most palaces open only in the afternoon; on Saturday and Sunday the usual hours are 10am–7pm.
At most palaces yes, with compulsory booking on rollidays.happyticket.it. A few sites charge: Palazzo Reale and Palazzo Spinola €2, Villa del Principe €7, Albergo dei Poveri €5.
On rollidays.happyticket.it choose the palace and time, then show the confirmation email at the entrance. For Palazzo Reale and Palazzo Spinola tickets are bought online from the National Museums box office.
Focus on Via Garibaldi (Palazzo Rosso, Bianco and Tursi, Tobia Pallavicino) and add Palazzo Reale on Via Balbi: they are close together and give a good idea of the Rolli system.
Yes: Palazzo Rosso, Bianco and Tursi, Lercari and Cattaneo Della Volta have slots in English, bookable on Happy Ticket, and the city’s walking tour has an English departure on Saturday.
Where to stay
Prices and availability of places to stay in Genoa for the dates of the event.
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