The three Luxoro brothers, Giuseppe (1857-1926) a doctor, Pietro (1860-1939) an engineer and professor of architecture at the Ligustica Academy, and Matteo (1865-1945) a graduate in Law, were descendants of an ancient Genoese family and grandchildren of the famous painter Tammar Luxoro, they assiduously cultivated a passion for art and collecting throughout their lives. As the owners of the villa that houses their collections they decided (by mutual agreement) to donate it, together with all the works of art they owned  to the Municipality of Genoa, so that it could be transformed into a public museum, dedicated to the memory of Giannettino Luxoro,  the brother’s only heir (Giuseppe's son) who had died prematurely during the First World War.