So in 1550 - when Luca Spinola was Doge - the Senate decided to redevelop this degraded area and set it aside for the construction of
"many beautiful buildings that will not only be useful for the city but will also embellish it". This heralded the beginning of an operation "of private building work in the public interest", something that sounds very familiar nowadays, but which was unheard of and revolutionary in the 16th century. The new district would consist of buildings erected either side of a Strada Nova - a majestic street some 7.5 metres wide
- with the palazzi on the northern side being built into the hillside using daring, ingenious and unprecedented architectural techniques.
Effectively, the ROLLO was prototype Airbnb: a list or catalogue of private stately homes which, based on their characteristics - aesthetic appeal, layout and comfort - were subdivided into categories (basically a star rating system) called BUSSOLI. The first ROLLO, drawn up in 1576 only had two BUSSOLI: there were 18 Majores palazzi and 34 Minores houses, and for each category there was a clear definition of the types of guests for which it was suitable. Each domus was listed together with the name of its owner and - another very modern touch - all the palazzi were periodically checked to ensure that they corresponded with their rating. The original 1576 ROLLO was updated a number of times - in 1588, 1599, 1614 and finally 1664
- with the addition of new addresses to meet the Republic's growing demand for prestige accommodation. The list grew to include a total of 176 palazzi.
DELIVERY IN GENOA - SHIPMENTS THROUGHOUT ITALY
