[1] The villa was intended as the private residence of the Genoese admiral Andrea Doria, Prince of Melfi, who often hosted emperors, kings and other foreign authorities.

Particularly noteworthy are Perino del Vaga's frescoes in the Salone dei Giganti and in the Loggia degli Eroi (1533), and the Flemish tapestries portraying the Battle of Lepanto (1571).

Thus, twelve reformers were appointed to write the new Constitution, which sanctioned the status of Genoa as an oligarchic republic, and consecrated Andrea Doria as "Censor for life" and ‘Father of the Motherland”.

In those occasions, according to the ancient chronicles, the prince organized sumptuous receptions by the seashore, jousts to celebrate his illustrious guests and fireworks to impress the crowds.

[2][1] In the 19th century, the villa was still renowned for its beauty and hosted the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, the King of Italy Victor Emmanuel II and the famous opera composer Giuseppe Verdi.

[8] The Northern façade on Via San Benedetto is characterized by simple architectural lines, with a portal realized by Perino del Vaga and Silvio Cosini, surmounted by the coat of arms of the Doria family and the Latin motto "Fundavit eam Altissimus" (English: "God the Most High founded it”).

[4][1] The pictorial decoration of the exterior, vastly celebrated already at the time of the reconstruction of the villa, was attributed to Girolamo da Treviso, Domenico Beccafumi and to Il Pordenone.

It is now lost but still worth noting doe to the great influence that it exerted on the Genoese painting school of the 16th century, from Antonio, Ottavio and Andrea Semino to Luca Cambiaso.

[1] The interior still preserves a decoration of great impact and a large art collection, including paintings of Sebastiano del Piombo, Domenico Piola and the Bronzino.

[2][1] The Northern part of the park used to be landscaped with monumental stairs, nymphaea and a colossal statue of Jupiter resembling Andrea Doria, made by Marcello Sparzo and known as "the Giant".