Villa Genoese Zerbi
On Reggio’s seafront a Venetian palace strayed south: pointed arches and crenellations facing the Strait of Messina.
At a glance
Villa Genoese Zerbi stands on the lungomare of Reggio Calabria, on Corso Vittorio Emanuele III. The baroque villa of the Genoese family that once occupied the site was destroyed by the 1908 earthquake and rebuilt around 1925 in a Venetian Gothic revival, modelled on fourteenth-century palaces of the lagoon.
Key facts
- Rebuilt: around 1925 (after the 1908 earthquake)
- Designers: engineers Zerbi, Pertini and Marzats
- Style: Venetian Gothic revival (14th-century models)
- Location: Lungomare – Corso Vittorio Emanuele III
- Coordinates: 38.1107, 15.6459 — Google Maps
History
Before 1860 the site held the baroque villa of the marchesi Genoese. Like the rest of the city it was destroyed by the earthquake of 1908, and the present villa was rebuilt around 1925 to a design by the engineers Zerbi, Pertini and Marzats.
They chose not the new Liberty current but a frank revival of fourteenth-century Venetian Gothic — an exotic, theatrical choice for the rebuilt seafront, one of the most celebrated promenades in southern Italy.
What you see
The front is a catalogue of Venetian Gothic: pointed arches on slender columns, loggias, colonnette balustrades to the balconies, and a line of crenellations crowning the terrace, set off by strong colour.
Facing the Strait, with Sicily and Etna on the horizon, the villa reads as a piece of Venice transplanted to the Calabrian shore.
Practical information
- Now used as a café and pastry venue and for exhibitions and events; check current opening.
- On the seafront promenade, freely seen from outside.
- Combine with a walk along the lungomare.
Getting there
The villa is on the Reggio Calabria seafront (Corso Vittorio Emanuele III), a short walk from the National Archaeological Museum and the city centre.
Nearby
Sources
- Wikipedia, “Villa Genoese Zerbi”
- Comune di Reggio Calabria
- ReggioToday / CityNow — local heritage reportage
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