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Sitting above Piazza Corvetto, Villetta di Negro is a large public park with a breath-taking view of the whole city of Genoa. In the main square in front of the park, there’s a statue erected of Giuseppe Mazzini, a great Genoese and father of the homeland.

Currently, the Villa hosts Edoardo Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art, which was built in 1956.
The park was built by Marquis Gian Carlo Di Negro, who purchased from the city of Genoa what used to be the Luccoli demilitarized fortification in 1802. It cost him 22.000 Italian Liras and he pledged to build also a botany school, funding it for at least 6 years – given the positive outcome of this endeavour, that very facility then became the Chair of Botany of the University of Genoa.
Thus, Di Negro built his villa and the park, decorating the latter with several busts and statues. The marquis died in 1863, and in 1857 the municipality purchased the park and the villa, making several changes on more than one occasion.
The house was unfortunately bombed and destroyed during WWII, therefore only its park still remains. In 1948, the municipality built a new structure – the current one – to be used as the permanent museum.

The villa original project is somehow linked to Carlo Barambino’s work – the same architect who took care of the famous “Spianata dell’Acquasola”. Nearby Acquasola it was also connected to Villetta Dinegro (now hosting Edoardo Chiossone Museum of Oriental Art) via a large terrace. Embellished with trees and shrubs, it was long used by the locals for walking and recreation,

In 1821, Carlo Barabino connected the hill where the villa used to be with the esplanade of the Acquasola, via a large terrace with steps running along the old sixteenth-century walls. A large bridge thus allowed two-way access to Piazza Corvetto which was still under construction.

Today, the public park is managed by the Municipality which offers free access to the public every day, from around 08:00 until the evening.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)