GENOESE GARDENS AND VILLAS. 
381 
representing the return face of the loggia, and seven windows forming a centre up to its 
repeat at the far end. It will be seen, therefore, that this fa9ade is of considerable extent. 
The rising entrance-way described is set out at right angles to the end bay of this main 
front. The house, unfortunately, cannot be visited, but the loggia, from the illustration 
(Fig. 409), will be seen to be interestingly decorated. The house has three storeys and a 
half-basement ; the back and one end are very plain, but preserve the same distribution as 
the two important sides. The gardens have disappeared. The terrace space in front 
of t h’e arcaded end 
facade has a built - up 
bastion with seats, 
below which is a steep 
drop to the present 
rough ground of the 
old garden ; there is 
a sloping way down to 
this lower level. The 
villa was in the 
possession of the 
Princes of Podenas. 
The architect was 
Vannone, and the date 
is 1600. The dressings 
are of marble with 
plastered walls, and the 
frescoes were by 
.\ndrea Ansoldo da 
Voltri, Bernardo 
Castello and Lazza 
Tavarone. The plans 
are given in Fig. 403. 
The Palazzo Impe- 
riali, also at St. Fran- 
cesco d’Albaro, retains 
some of the original 
lay-out (Fig. 41 1), as 
will be seen by the 
illustration (Pig. 412), 
which shows a balus- 
trade d terrace with 
double s t a i r w a V 
approach and a charac- 
teristic grotto under- 
neath. The house has 406. — view in the upper loggia, vill.a cambiaso. 
end loggias, well related -^rchitectuv 
to the central group of three windows. The large flat wall surfaces show the remains of 
fresco decorations. 
The Palazzo delle Peschiere (Pallavicini) seems now quite in the centre of the town, which 
has absorbed and surrounded it with modern buildings and new street levels. It may be 
easily missed, therefore, lying at the back on the slopes of the Zerbino and approached only 
by side streets. It was laid out by Galeazzo Alessi in 1560-72, and was once a splendid 
example of a Genoese villa, with its terraces, grottoes and gardens (Fig. 414). The type of the 
house is that of the Farnesina at Rome, but without, of course, the delicacy of treatment which 
distinguishes that gem of the early Renaissance. The wings, which are somewhat wide for 
the centre, are emphasised by blank arcades filled in with fresco figures, which seem thus to be 
A 
