In Genoa , theconservation intervention on the First Book of Ceremonies of the Palazzi dei Rolli, one of the most significant documents for the reconstruction of the public life and reception system of the city between the late 16th century and the first decades of the 17th century, officially kicks off. The conclusion of fundraising for the intervention, announced today, marks a key step toward the protection of a volume that tells the story of Old Regime Genoa through festivals, religious solemnities and official events related to the arrival in the city of sovereigns, princes, nobles and foreign ambassadors.
The initiative was promoted by the Soprintendenza archivistica e bibliografica della Liguria - Genoa State Archives, with the support of the City of Genoa and Culture Councillor Giacomo Montanari. A decisive role was played by Banca Ifis, which, through the Ifis art project, covered almost the entire cost of the intervention, making it possible to quickly achieve the set objective. The intervention is part of the program of celebrations for the 20th anniversary of the inscription of the Palazzi dei Rolli on the UNESCO World Heritage List, an anniversary that will fall in 2026 and represents a key moment for the enhancement of Genoa’s historical and cultural identity.
Banca Ifis’ support for the First Book of Ceremonies is part of the projects of Ifis art, the brand created by President Ernesto Fürstenberg Fassio with the aim of creating a stable bridge between the public and private sectors in the protection and enhancement of Italy’s artistic and cultural heritage. For the banking institution, the initiative takes on a special symbolic value: Banca Ifis was born precisely in Genoa in 1984 and, more than forty years later, maintains a deep bond with the city, which today translates into a concrete intervention in favor of the preservation of its historical memory.
The conservation intervention will start in April 2026 and will last an estimated one year. The goal is not only to ensure the physical preservation of the volume, but also to return it fully to the public and the scientific community. At the end of the intervention, the First Book of Ceremonies will return to the spaces of the Genoa State Archives and a full digitization process will be initiated, aimed at creating a high-definition digital archive. This step will make it possible to expand the accessibility of the document, facilitating research and consultation by scholars, enthusiasts and the public, as well as ensuring its wider online dissemination.
The Books of Ceremonies series, preserved at the Genoa State Archives, represents the most comprehensive source for understanding the uniqueness and magnificence of the hospitality system developed by the Republic of Genoa from the 16th century onward. The Palazzi dei Rolli, or aristocratic residences included in official lists (the Rolli) and destined by lot to accommodate distinguished guests visiting for political or financial reasons, constituted a model of hospitality unparalleled in Europe. If the actual Rolli provide information on the location of the palaces and the names of the owners, the Books of Ceremonies return a detailed narrative of the public life of the city and the ceremonial apparatuses that accompanied the hospitalizations.
The First Book of Ceremonies, compiled by master of ceremonies Girolamo Bordone between 1588 and 1614, consists of some four hundred papers and documents with great precision festivals, city events, religious celebrations and official protocols. Through its pages emerges a Genoa aware of its political and economic role, capable of building prestige and authority even through the art of hospitality and the staging of power. The volume still preserves the splendor of the city of the Ancient Regime, but it has significant conservation criticalities that require careful and specialized intervention.
Prior to the start of work, starting Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, the First Book of Ceremonies will be on public display along with the other Books of Ceremonies, the Rolli and other documents related to the theme of Genoese hospitality. The exhibition, housed at the Genoa State Archives, is part of the exhibition entitled L’accoglienza a Genova e il sistema dei Rolli and is an opportunity to bring citizens and visitors closer to a documentary heritage of extraordinary historical value.
Banca Ifis’s intervention comes just three months after the Soprintendenza launched an appeal to citizens and businesses to support the intervention on the volume, demonstrating how collaboration between public institutions and private entities can produce concrete results quickly. The project also comes at a time of growing attention to the Palazzi dei Rolli, which can now be visited during events such as Rolli Days, which open historic residences that are not normally accessible to the public, revealing architecture and works of art of exceptional quality. The operation on the First Book of Ceremonies of the Palazzi dei Rolli is therefore part of a broader path of protection, study and enhancement of Genoa’s historical memory. In view of the Unesco celebrations in 2026, the intervention restores centrality to a document that is fundamental for understanding not only the organization of hospitality in modern Genoa, but also the city’s role as a political, diplomatic and cultural crossroads in the Mediterranean. A heritage that can be handed down and made accessible to future generations.
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| Genoa, start of conservation work on the First Book of Ceremonies of the Rolli of Genoa |
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