The name Genova Rulli evokes a deep sense of nostalgia among older generations in Vasto, recalling values of a bygone era.
This sentiment stems from the legacy of Cavalier Luigi Genova Rulli, a President of the Court of Appeal, who passed away in 1941 at the age of 95 without heirs.
As the last representative of the noble Genova and Rulli families, he bequeathed his entire estate to establish a home for orphaned girls.
In 1949, the Opera Pia, entrusted to the Sisters of the Cross, relocated to Palazzo della Penna, a fortified 17th-century residence once owned by the d’Avalos family in the Lebba River Valley. The institution provided shelter for up to forty girls at a time.
Today, the foundation has evolved into a secular shelter. After vacating Palazzo della Penna following the 1980 earthquake, it now operates from an 19th-century residence, part of the original bequest in the Incoronata area. The institution is sustained by income from a 280-hectare agricultural estate, once managed through sharecropping and now leased to multiple tenants, remaining one of the largest landholdings in the region.
The noble Genova family of Vasto traces its origins back to 1646, when Cintio Genova, a merchant from the maritime Republic of Genoa, was granted the title Baron of Salle.
Over the centuries, several family members served as mastrogiurati (high-ranking magistrates) in Vasto, including Nicola in 1665 and Matteo in 1763. One of the most historically significant figures was Baron Pasquale Genova, who served as President of the Provincial Council of Abruzzo Citeriore in 1810 and 1821. Following the suppression of religious institutions in 1809, he acquired the Capuchin convent in Sant’Anna, converting it into the present-day villa.
During the Vasto uprisings of 1799, he was proclaimed Quadrunviro of the City by the Sanfedists, with the title of General. When French forces arrived to quell the rebellion, they appointed him Municipalist instead.
His brother, Berardino Genova, also served as mastrogiurato in the early 19th century, as did his son Giuseppe in 1829. The younger son, Ludovico, married Giovanna, daughter of Baron Giuseppe Antonio Rulli, and the couple took residence in the palace that today bears both family names—Palazzo Genova Rulli.