I Parchi di Nervi

The Nervi Parks are a large green area formed by several gardens, which formerly belonged to the Gropallo, Saluzzo Serra, Grimaldi Fassio and Luxoro villas, now home to valuable museums of modern and contemporary art, as well as important cultural and industry events, such as the Nervi International Ballet Festival and Euroflora, which place Genoa in the limelight of the world stage .

With their English landscape gardens, palm trees and other rare and valuable plants, fountains and rose garden, the Parks have been conceived to recall the elegant aristocratic lifestyles of the past owners. Such wonderful gardens present many fascinating spots to visit.

The paths inside the gardens lead to the Capolungo cliff and to a breathtaking panoramic view on the Golfo Paradiso and on the Portofino cape. The Anita Garibaldi walk presents a terrace on the sea of over one kilometer among the Parks and the reefs where to fully enjoy the sunset.

The historical Villas and the Rose garden

The first villa of the route from the city centre is Villa Gropallo. Fully renovated during the XIX century by the marquess Gropallo as his countryside residence, the Villa hosted renowned guests such as Gabriele D’Annunzio and Eleonora Duse. The villa now hosts the library Biblioteca Brocchi and the Carabinieri headquarter of Nervi.

Past the small bridge towards east, there is Villa Saluzzo Serra. Built probably in the XVI century, the Villa belonged originally to the Romeo family and then to the marquesses Saluzzo. In 1815, Gerolamo Serra bought the Villa and renovated it as a landscape park. The property was then given to the Municipality in 1927. Since 1928, it hosts theGalleria d’Arte Moderna of the City.

The third villa is Villa Grimaldi Fassio. Bought in 1956 by the ship owner Ernesto Fassio, it is the last one to be acquired by the Municipality. The villa now hosts a museum and the valuable collections Raccolte Frugon including sculptures, paintings of different Italian and European artists.

The large lawn in front of Villa Grimaldi Fassio is home to the temporary stalls and stage set up for the Nervi International Ballet Festival, and the location, with the unique and natural backdrop of the sea, the backdrops of palm trees and centuries-old trees, and a ceiling of summer stars, makes the Festival a unique thrill where the show begins even before the spotlights are turned on.

Another stand-out element inside the Parks is the rose garden: the Roseto Luigi Viacava. The garden was renovated in 2012; it is divided in different areas with ancient rose plants, both rare and modern, counting over 200 varieties of colourful plants. The best period to fully appreciate its beauty is definitely springtime.

Finally, Villa Luxoro. The villa was built in 1903 as the summer residence of the Luxoro family. It is the most recent among all the other villas inside the Parks. Nowadays, it constitutes a fascinating villa-musem, presenting works of figurative and applied art. The museum is now temporarily closed and will be re-opened soon.