The largest palace on Via Garibaldi now serves as Genoa's city hall, but part of it is open to visitors as a museum. The main draw is the Paganini collection: Niccolò Paganini's personal violin (a 1743 Guarneri del Gesù), letters, portraits, and memorabilia from the greatest violinist of the 19th century, who was born in Genoa in 1782.
The palace itself is magnificent: the central courtyard with its triple-loggia and staircase is among the most impressive in the city. The other rooms contain a numismatic collection, documents related to Christopher Columbus, and civic archives. Admission is on the combined Musei di Strada Nuova ticket.