GENOA

a brief historyof the Spinola familyand the city

There are records linking the Spinola and the city

of Genoa starting from the tenth century. Later

on, Guido Spinola served several terms as Con-

sul, and was first elected in 1102, when he had just

returned from the first Crusade to the Holy Land.

By then, thanks to its

strong attitude for com-

merce, the city of Genoa

had replaced the Feudal

system with a new form

of government. Inspired

by the church, the “Compagna” was established,

where “Consuls”, chosen among the noble fami-

lies of the city as well as among representatives of

the people, were running the city

with the help of a “Consilium”, thus

in effect setting up the first Genoese

Republic. Thanks to internal peace,

Genoa’s importance as a maritime

city grew, expanding its merchant

navy and acquiring possessions in

the Easter Mediterranean. The city

became an important business hub,

resulting in rivalry with Pisa and

Venice. The medieval part of the

city was developed by powerful

families: the Ghibelline Doria and

Spinola, and the Guelph Fieschi and Grimaldi,

who enriched it with churches and palaces;

Oberto Spinola, for example, founded the

church of San Luca in 1188. Slowly, conflict

emerged between the Guelphs and the Ghi-

bellines. The latter prevailed in 1270, when

Oberto Doria and Oberto Spinola joined forces

to establish a twenty-year diarchy, favouring the

growth of the Maritime Republic. In 1284 they

defeated Pisa in the battle

of the Meloria, and in

1298 Genoa defeated

Venice in the battle of

Curzola. Genoa became a

business partner for the

empires of the day. In 1306

Opizzino’s daughter Argentina Spinola mar-

ried Teodoro Paleologue, son of the Byzantine

Emperor Andronico the second. In 1309 her fa-

ther became Captain for Life, and after many ups

and downs he returned to Genoa accompanying

the Holy Roman Emperor Henry the seventh

(1311). The emperor granted him the govern-

ment of the Republic for 20 years and imperial

recognition for his feuds on the Apennines, thus

creating a de facto cushion between Genoa and the

inner pre-Italian states. He was also granted the

1102 1188 1270 1284 1298 1306 1309

right to coin money. Genoa saw a time of

extraordinary economic and urban

growth. Once again traditional institu-

tions were set aside and replaced in

order to overcome dissent within the

city. A more authoritative figure was

created, and Simone Boccanegra was

elected Doge in 1339. During the

15th century Genoa fell three times under

French dominion, and twice under the dominion

of the Milanese families, Visconti first and Sforza

later. Yet, in 1406 it confirmed its economic power

by founding the Banco di San Giorgio, the world’s

first bank. While under French dominion,

Francesco Spinola led the siege of Gaeta against

the Aragonese, as well as the battle of Ponza in

1442. His equestrian statue, part of his funeral

monument, may now be seen in the courtyard of

Palazzo Spinola di Pellicceria. Palazzo Spinola dei

Marmi was built between 1445 and 1459, entirely

covered on black and white marble stripes, deco-

ration that was the exclu-

sive privilege of the four

main families in the city,

Doria, Spinola, Fieschi and

Grimaldi. The Palazzo, as

one of the inscriptions of

the façade cites, has been built by the will

of “Jacobi, figlio di Carroccio e pronipote di

Gerardo, signore di Lucca e di Tortona...”.

In 1453 the fall of Constantinople to

the Ottoman Empire stripped Genoa

of many of its colonies. The Republic

then turned westwards, anticipating

Andrea Doria’s approach to Spain. In

1492 Christopher Columbus, funded by

Ferdinand II of Aragon, travelled to the “New

World” and, as Quevedo wrote, “Gold was born in

America, died in Seville and was then buried in

Genoa”. Since the beginning of the 16th century

Genoa had been involved in the conflict between

France and Spain suffering from the vicissitudes

of the war. One story relates that in 1502 Louis

XII of France, while in Genoa in search of allies,

fell in love with Tommasina Spinola, who later

died of heartbreak upon hearing the false news

that the king had died. When Louis returned to

Genoa, as a conqueror, he sighed as he visited her

former home: “It could

have been a perfect love”.

The small square is still

known as “Piazza dello

Amor Perfetto”. In 1525

Spain defeated France.

Francesco Spinola

1406 14921442 1502 1525

Palazzo Spinola dei Marmi

1339 1453 1459

Genoa had contributed to

the victory with weapons,

money and men, namely

with its most famous admi-

ral, Andrea Doria. His in-

ternational aura, gave him

the power to transform the

“Commune” into a Repub-

lic (although oligarchical).

In 1528 he established a republican constitution in

which eligibility for political office was predicated

on membership in one of twenty-eight alberghi.

These were extended networks of aristocratic kin-

ship based on clientage rather than strict blood

lines. From that moment, eleven Spinola served as

Doges of the city, starting with Battista Spinola,

elected in 1531. The restoration of political

stability and the alliance

with Spain ushered in “El

Siglo de los Genoveses”. The

city was prosperous and

magnificent, and in the

middle of the century

began the construction of

Strada Nuova, now known

as Via Garibaldi. The street

was built over the former

“tuguri” of Maddalena,

Fontane Marose and

San Francesco, that

Luca Spinola, (Doge

in 1551), purchased

for 5,000 lire. Part of

this land was used to

build the four Spinola palaces which we can still

admire today. It was a century of great geographic

discoveries. In 1543 the Portuguese sailed to Japan,

and the first merchants were soon followed by

Christian missionaries. Father Carlo Spinola,

who joined the Company of Jesus in 1584, set off

for the East Indies and came to Macao, where he

is thought to take part in the drawing of Sao Paulo

Cathedral façade. In 1602 he travelled to Japan,

where he was martyred in 1622. In the XVIIth

Brigida Spinola DoriaNational Gallery of Art

The Surrender of Breda

Geronima SpinolaGemäldegalerie, Berlin

Ambrogio SpinolaSaint Louis Art Museum

1528 1531 1551 1584 1602

Carlo Spinola

century, Genoa’s strong

links with Spain led

Ambrogio Spinola, a

general and the first Mar-

quis of Los Balbases, to

serve king Philip the 2nd,

helping to win the city of

Breda in Flanders (1625).

The painter Velazquez cel-

ebrates his greatness in his work “The Surrender of

Breda”, now in the Prado museum in Madrid. In

those years, Genoa itself attracted some of the

great artists of the century: Pieter Paul Rubens

painted a portrait of Brigida Spinola Doria in

1606, Veronica Spinola Doria in 1606/1607

and Ambrogio Spinola in 1630. Anton Van

Dyck painted Geronima Spinola in 1624 and

1625 and later painted

Polissena Spinola. The

church of San Luca was

rebuilt starting in 1626,

with a decoration by

Domenico Piola and

Anton Maria Haffner. The

Spinola family aristocratic

church is now a perfect ex-

ample of XVIth century

art, as it was luckily pre-

served intact from war

damages over the cen-

turies. It features works by

Grechetto and Filippo

Parodi. The Spinola family

gave the Church fourteen

cardinals. Among these,

Giovanni Battista Spin-

ola, Cardinal of San Cesareo, was a great patron

of artists, particularly the Genoese painter known

as Baciccio. As a collector, the Cardinal assembled

many of the paintings now in the Gallery of

Palazzo Spinola di Pellicceria. The second decline

of the Republic of Genoa counts among its causes

the impoverishment of its main ally, Spain. The

weakened city was unsuccessfully attacked by the

Duke of Savoy, and later decimated by the plague

of 1630. Bombed by the French fleet of Louis

XIVth in 1684, the Republic slowly moved back

under French influence. During the War of the

Austrian Succession,

Genoa was invaded by

the Austrians and in

1746 “Balilla”, a boy

from the people,

started the revolt that

Chiesa di San Luca

Giovanni Battista SpinolaSpinola di Pellicceria, Genova

Palazzo Doria Spinola

1606 1626 1630 16411625 1684 1746 1768

freed the city. In 1768 Banco di San

Giorgio sold Corsica to France. A

few years later, Europe was shaken

by the French Revolution, during

which Genoa remained neutral, but

in 1797 the city allied itself with

Napoleon Bonaparte and the Genoese Republic

ceased to exist, replaced by the Democratic Re-

public of Liguria, which became part of the

French Empire in 1805. Following Napoleon’s

defeat, the 1815 Vienna Congress approved the

annexation of the Republic of Liguria to the

Reign of Sardinia. In the 19th century increased

opportunities to travel and geographic discoveries

promoted the study of the sciences. Massimil-

iano Spinola (1780-1857) inherited property in

South America, and his studies qualified him as an

ordinary associate of the Entomological

Society of London. He published a

number of books on taxonomy. In

Genoa, he resided in the Palazzo Doria

Spinola, now the seat of Prefecture.

Built in 1541 by the Doria family, it

later passed into the hands of the Spin-

olas, and the imposing portal carved by

Taddeo Carlone in 1580 still bears the

family’s coat of arms, with the “Spina”

or thorn carved into it. In 1861, the

Kingdom of Italy was formed under

Victor Emmanuel II. Tommaso

Spinola (1803-1879) was Senator

and Mayor of Genoa in 1862. Gia-

como Filippo Spinola (1828-

1872) became First Aide-de-Camp to the king,

and in 1868 he married the king’s daughter Vitto-

ria Guerrieri di Mirafiori, born of the King’s mor-

ganatic marriage with Bela Ròsin, the Countess of

Mirafiori. Federico Costanzo Spinola (1830-

1909) was an ambassador and Senator in 1892.

Franco Spinola (1878-1958), who was an Admi-

ral and a great lover of sailing, in 1928 ordered the

Baglietto shipyard to build La Spina, the first 12

metre international class yacht to be built in Italy.

In 1958, Franco and his brother Paolo donated

Palazzo Spinola di Pellicceria and

the artworks that it contained to the

Italian nation so that it could be made

into a national gallery, with the sole

condition that its appearance as the

stately home of a Genoese noble family

be preserved. They donated Villa La Pa-

gana or “Villa del Trattato”, in Rapallo, to

the Sovreign Order of Malta, requiring

that its interior be preserved as it was.Palazzo Spinola di Pellicceria

The launch of the12M La Spina

1797 1805 1815 1862 1868 1892 1928 1958

1991

Fondazione Spinola is the contemporary successor to Fondazione Nobile Famiglia Spinola,

a charitable institution active since the 18th century around the church of San Luca, the

aristocratic parish church of the Spinola family.

In 1990 a new statute was drawn up giving the Foundation the status of non-profit institution. The

Foundation’s primary aim is the administration of the church of San Luca, but it also represents the

Spinola family in Genoa, as a number of members of the family have moved away from the city to

pursue their professional careers.

Just as they did in the past, the Spinola work in a variety of

fields in Italy and abroad. They are journalists, company direc-

tors, museum curators, interior decorators, tour operators,

winemakers and farm-owners, and they all wish to maintain

their links with the city of Genoa. These links are as strong

today as they have been right through history.

The aristocratic parishes are a peculiarity of the history of Genoa. Founded and belonging to the

aristocratic Genoese families, these churches represent exclusive places of worship where family

members can celebrate religious functions regardless of where they live . They are historical evidence

of the Genoese families power, and to this day Canon Law still recognizes their exceptional nature.

The Foundation’s primary aim is to manage the church of San Luca in Genoa. In addition, the

Foundation assists scholars whose work focuses on the history of Genoa and the Genoese. Always

looking for talented students who wish to study the Spinola family, the Foundation provides

scholarships, encouraging scholars from internationally recognized universities to submit their

nominations.

Spinola di San Pietro - 1625

the Spinola palacespublished by

Pieter Paul Rubensin 1652

Angelo Giovanni Spinola - 1558

Spinola Gambaro - 1558 Daniel Spinola - 1560

Doria Spinola - 1541Lazzaro e Giacomo Spinola - 1583 Spinola di Pellicceria - 1593

Niccolò Spinola - 1563

Fondazione Spinola • +39 010 566353 • fondazione@spinola.it • www.spinola.it

Pictures are published by kind permission of the corresponding Museums, as well as Tormena Editore and Fondazione Spinola.Regarding Palazzo Spinola di Pellicceria, we are grateful to:

Soprintendenza per i Beni Storici, Artistici ed Etnoantropologici della Liguria - Galleria Nazionale di Palazzo Spinola.

Artw

ork: gmt@

torm

ena.it