Now owned by the Cavaliere family, this “remarkable building” claims to have been “witness to eccentric lifestyles”. It stands in a small park, with wide views over the Mediterranean, on the coast south of Genoa. An underground passage connects its cellar to the beach. Built in the early 19th century by a rich merchant, it owes its oriental style to his extensive trade with China and, it is said, his love for a Chinese girl. Later it was the summer residence of the Czar of Russia: much of the furnishing, and the magnificent chandeliers in the public rooms, date from this time. Period furniture abounds; floors are of antique Carrara marble. “Our room,” say recent visitors, “had sea-facing balcony and many original features, and was furnished in excellent taste. Its modern bathroom had all one could want.” In the restaurant, Il Roseto, “dinner, excellently prepared, included pasta alla Genovese” (pesto is a local speciality). In the “luscious” gardens, summer meals are served under white parasols. A gate leads to the “mostly uninteresting” beach.