Andrea Doria was immortalised in the role of Neptune by Bronzino, who painted the portrait for the collection of portraits of illustrious men owned by Paolo Giovio, a prominent cultural figure of the 16th century. While the painting made for Giovio is now housed in the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan, there is a second version which can be seen in the Sala di Perseo. This portrait, depicting Andrea Doria as the god of the sea, was also painted by Bronzino, probably between 1545 and 1546. In the painting, Doria, depicted in heroic nudity and partly inspired by Michelangelo’s David, is leaning against the mast of a ship and he is grasping an oar in his right hand. The face has an idealised appearance compared to Andrea Doria's true features, with the long wavy beard traditionally attributed to Neptune.  

The five vaults covering the Loggia degli Eroi are a series of octagons surrounded by exquisite stucco work in lime and marble powder, inspired by the examples of the Vatican Loggias and those at the Villa Madama in Rome. The vaults bear depictions of patriotic episodes in Roman history, including Orazio Coclite sul ponte Sublicio (Horatius Cocles holding the Pons Sublicius) and Marco Curzio che si getta nella voragine (Marcus Curtius leaping into the chasm).
The Roman episodes on the vaults echo the depiction as saviours of the nation of twelve of Andrea Doria's ancestors, frescoed on the north wall of the Loggia degli Eroi.

Andrea Doria was the subject of a celebrated portrait painted on wood by Sebastiano del Piombo at the behest of Pope Clement VII in 1526, when Doria became commander in chief of the papal fleet. Andrea is depicted at the age of sixty, in an austere black robe, wearing his admiral's hat. In keeping with the Venetian fashion of including a parapet under the image of the subject, below the figure there is an antique frieze depicting six naval emblems, taken from a marble decoration of the 1st century BC currently housed in the Capitoline Museum in Rome. These emblems most likely refer to the six galleys provided to him by the Pope.

The Salone dei Giganti in Villa del Principe houses two large tapestries depicting the Histories of Alexander the Great. Experts consider these two panels to be among the most important tapestries of the fifteenth century. Woven with threads of gold, silver, silk and wool, they were made around 1460 in Tournai, in the Duchy of Burgundy. The two tapestries, measuring just under forty square metres each, depict various episodes in the life and legend of Alexander the Great, considered at the time to be a model of political and moral virtue. The first tapestry depicts scenes from the hero's youth. The second tapestry shows a similar interweaving of historical and legendary elements and the Burgundy of the 15th century is reflected in the garments, weapons and style of architecture.

The fresco decorating the vault of the Salone dei Giganti was painted by Perin del Vaga, an artist who played a key role in the Palazzo’s entire decorative scheme. The fresco portrays Giove che folgora i Giganti ribelli (Jupiter striking the rebel Giants with Lightning). According to the Greek myth as told by Homer, Hesiod and Apollodorus, the Giants, born from drops of Uranus’ blood fallen to the earth, attacked the Olympus with the intention of overthrowing the gods. The ferocious struggle that followed, known as the “Gigantomachy”, was won by the gods, led by Jupiter. The fresco depicts Jupiter in the act of casting lightning bolts on the Giants, surrounded by the ranks of the gods of Olympus. Sources of the time suggest that the triumph of Jupiter over the Giants is to be interpreted as an allegory of the triumph of Emperor Charles V over his enemies, particularly the Turks and the Protestants.

In the fresco, Perin del Vaga pays homage to the great masters he met in Rome, including Raphael, Michelangelo and Rosso Fiorentino.

The ancient “Cannons rooms” are today dedicated to lighthouses and their operation.
Here you can find some mechanical objects and memorabilia about how men solved problems related to ensure maritime signals light and operation to support navigation, according to the available technology.
The objects are accompanied by illustrative videos with the description of their operation, by Bruno Cacciaveleni, who was in 2004 Chief Technician of “Marifari” of La Spezia.