At the time of Andrea Doria, the building lacked an environment to accommodate religious ceremonies. On the contrary, his successor, Giovanni Andrea I, along with his wife Zenobia, was considered one of the most rigorous champions of the counter-reformation in Genoa. They could pride themselves upon the numerous shrines in their property, of which the only one which has been preserved in its original form is that which is adjacent to the gallery. The ceiling was almost entirely destroyed through the bombings of the Second World War: in the fanlight depictions of Sibyls, the ancient Pagan prophetesses are still visible. In the underlying band there are sixteen blue-black ovals painted to give the impression of slate, surrounded by rich wreaths of fruit. The altar piece was created at the start of the seventeenth century by Giovanni Battista Gaulli, known as “Il Baciccio”. In front of this, a sixteenth century crucifix is on display, a little less than one metre in height and made of precious wood. This is an important piece of work and almost certainly from the villa: a rare version from a private shrine of the great ‘black’ Christ figures of the Genoese brotherhoods, so-called because the dark wood with which they were made was exposed. This particular allows an even higher appreciation of the notable skill involved in the carving. The religious furnishings are completed on the right of the altar with a small painting containing four religious relics that are placed around a waxen depiction of the crucifixion. Meanwhile on the left, the Papal authorisation that granted Princess Anna Pamphilj the authority to move the artefacts of Santa Giusta to Rome can be seen. Finally, the traditional technique known as “Riporto”, which is the application of a material template being placed on fabric underneath, was in part utilised for the upholstery of the majestic embroidered armchair with silver thread and coloured silk. This was for the throne commissioned by the Dorias for the planned visit of King Philip V of Spain in 1702, although this can not be confirmed.
This painting was created between 1705 and 1706 by Giovanni Battista Gaulli, known as “Il Baciccio”, the Genoese artist. He would go on to move to Rome and had, thanks to the protection of Bernini, rather prestigious commissions such as the well-known fresco in the cupola and the vaulted ceilings of the Chiesa del Gesù. Thanks to these he was recognised as one of the great masters of the baroque style. The altar piece is of San Giuliano, protector of gout-sufferers, who was brought to the attention of the Roman Emperor Decius. The painting shows the Saint, with his feet bound due to the illness, receiving the death sentence while two cherubs hold a palm frond and a martyr’s crown (which resembles a halo); a statue of Jupiter is framed by a portico in the background. The painting is characterised by the careful attention to colour, which was typical of Gaulli. He was highly capable of alternating the lively and vivid tones of the characters in the foreground, such as from the red robes of the judge and the blue of the Saint, to the delicate modulations of the background shades. The structure of this piece shows the classic composition that was common in the artists last years of work.