Italian Rationalism: A Grand Tour
Italian Rationalism is the country’s great modern paradox. In barely fifteen years between the wars, a generation of young architects gave Italy some of the…
Architecture
Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie al Trionfale, Rome
A Catholic church in Rome’s Trionfale quarter, designed by architect Tullio Rossi and engineer Franco Formari and completed in 1941. The building features a Neo-Renaissance facade and houses frescoes and artworks from its predecessor.
Telefonica Tirrena Building, Rome, by Vittorio Ballio Morpurgo
A Roman office building completed in 1928 for the Tirrena Telephone Company, designed by architect Vittorio Ballio Morpurgo. The structure features wrought-iron detailing, cast-iron balconies, and sculptural ornamentation.
Casa della Meridiana by Giuseppe De Finetti, Milan
A five-storey luxury apartment building designed by architect Giuseppe De Finetti and completed in 1925 in Milan. The design preserves a historic garden while employing simplified classical elements.
Miramare Castle: A Hapsburg Palace Above the Gulf of Trieste
Miramare Castle in Friuli Venezia Giulia was built by Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian of Hapsburg for his wife Carlotta of Belgium. The castle preserves original furnishings and overlooks the Gulf of Trieste.
Rocca Calascio: Italy’s Highest Medieval Fortress in Abruzzo
Rocca Calascio, a white-stone medieval castle at 1,460 meters in L’Aquila province, stands as one of Italy’s highest fortified structures. Its dramatic mountain setting has attracted filmmakers including those behind Lady Hawke, The Name of the Rose, and The American.
The Dual Castles of Marostica in Veneto
Marostica in the Veneto region features two connected castles linked by an 1,800-metre wall, with a historic town centre centered on Piazza degli Scacchi.
Aragonese Castle of Ischia: Medieval Fortress and Film Location
Standing on a small island off Campania, the Aragonese Castle of Ischia features a 400-meter tunnel carved through rock and served as a filming location for a 1952 Burt Lancaster film.
Castel dell’Ovo: Naples’ Oldest Fortress and Its Legendary Egg
Castel dell’Ovo, Naples’ oldest castle, has dominated the gulf panorama for centuries despite repeated reconstructions. An ancient legend attributes its stability to a magical egg hidden by the poet Virgil in its dungeons.