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Focus Keyword: Italy; Architecture; Travel
Structures Of Italy: 15 Architectural Marvels Every Architect Must See
Word Count: 880
The global renown of Italian architecture is undeniable. No matter the city, Italy offers a blend of brilliant wine and rich architectural history. Marvels such as the Duomo di Milano, Pantheon, Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, and Rialto bridge. However, Italy offers a plethora of remarkable architecture.
Here are 15 not-so-cliche structures for architects to explore in Italy.
New Trade Center, Milan_©Giuseppe Blengini.jpg
Designed by Massimiliano & Doriana Fuksas, this gorgeous glass structure peaks and valleys like mountains towering over the falling water. The ribbons of glazing roll overhead, mimicking the surrounding landscape and sheltering pedestrians as they explore the nearly mile-long structure.
Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy_©Cultural Hertiage Online .jpg
Lofted on a hilltop amidst a rolling landscape in central Italy, Civita di Bagnoregio was built nearly 2,500 years by the Etruscans. For a fee, tourists are welcome to visit this jewel of a town via a stretching pedestrian bridge.
3. Condominio 25 Verde, Torino (Turin), Italy
25 Green/Luciano Pia_©BeppeGiardino.jpg
The green project utilizes playful biomimicry to create a resident landscape unlike any other. This project offers a beacon of hope for the future of mid-rise residential living.
4. Villa d'Este, Trivoli, Italy
Villa d'Este, Tivoli © OUR PLACE The World Heritage Collection.jpg
Famous for historic and expansive renaissance architecture, the Villa d’Este offers memorable and immersive architecture just outside of Rome, Italy. The Villa and its garden were designed by the renowned Pirro Ligorio.
5. Bosco Verticale, Milan, Italy
Bosco Verticale, Milan_©Stefano Boeri Architetti. jpg
Sprouting from the landscape in a seemingly magical manner, Bosco Vertical is a pair of residential tower prototypes showcasing the potential of vertically increasing biodiversity in urban landscapes. These towers are a brilliant muse for residential architects.
6. Certosa di Pavia, Lombardy, Italy
Certosa di Pavia, Lombardy, Italy_©Clodio_Getty Images.jpg
Certosa di Pavia is a monastery and commune in the Pavia providence of Lombardy, Italy. It is beautifully trimmed with historic motifs and certainly worthy of the admiration of the architectural explorer.
Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi, Piazza Principe Amedeo, Stupinigi, Nichelino, TO, Italia_©Claudio Divizia. jpg
The Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi is a Turin masterpiece by architect Filippo Juvarra that embraces a feeling of forebode and grandeur. Turin holds a plethora of must-sees for the architectural consumer.
8. Cúpula de Santa María de las Flores, Florence, Italy
Cúpula de Santa María de las Flores, Florence_©Daniel Wanke. jpg
Adding to Italy’s renaissance magic, the Cúpula de Santa María de las Flores was designed by Filipino Brunelleschi in the 1400s (Opera Di Santa Maria Del Fiore, n.d.). Affectionately known as “The Dome”, Brunelleschi’s innovative design “The Dome consists of two distinct domes: one internal, more than two meters thick, with a deeper angle than the other and consisting of large arches held together by ribs and made of bricks arranged in a "herringbone" pattern (Opera Di Santa Maria Del Fiore, n.d.). ”
9. Chiesa del Santo Volto, Torino (Turin), Italy
Santo Volto_©Enrico Cano .jpg
Church Salto Volvo is a post-modern religious building that stretches like a pipe organ into the skies of Turin. Designed by Mario Botta Achitetto, the building was a part of a larger plan intended to weave the architectural aesthetics of abandoned industrial areas into the modern city. Despite its industrial appeal, the Salto Volvo is truly a church.
10. Palazzo Ducale (Doge Palace) Venice, Italy
Doge Palace_© Eduardo F Coelho. jpg
This stand-out, Byzantine structure was once the heart of government during the Venetian Republic and home to the Doge. The airy, pink Verona marble construction colorfully contrasts the blue hues of the surrounding seas and sky.
11. Chiesa di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria, Palermo, Italy
Chiesa di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria, Palermo_© Sedmak_Getty Images.jpg
The church is a colorful display of Sicilian Baroque architecture with gorgeous terrace views. The interior is a collage of vibrant marble and stunning sculptural embellishment.
12. Dives in Misericordia (The Church of 2000), Rome, Italy
Dives in Misericordia, Rome_© Richard Meier, and Partners.jpg
Commonly known as Jubilee church is the first work of Richard Meier in Rome, Italy. The concept is meant the highlight purity of form present in the cube and sphere, and the modern interconnection between the surrounding suburban community and church.
13. Gabella Gate Visitor Center, Ripa Teatina, Italy
Gabella Gate, Ripa Teatina, Italy_© Rocco Valentini Architecture.jpg
Built amongst the Porta Gabella ruins, this revitalization features a distinct cor-ten steel add-on that purposefully resembles an industrial interpretation of open medieval gates. The interior is cavernous with steel precisely filling the void of crumbled stone. Though it is not the typical vacation photo of Italian architecture, Gabella Gate is an inspiring study of the preservation and revitalization of historic ruins.
14. Church of Santa Maria de Idris, Matera, Italy
Church of Santa Maria de Idris, Matera_© Yuelan_ Getty Images.jpg
Rising from a sea of stone, Matera is the third oldest city in the world. This subterranean city is known for sweeping views of its gleaming white architecture and its cavernous architecture. At the top, the rocky terrain elegantly embellished with a small bell tower sits Santa Maria de Idris, a marvel of the past standing firmly in the present.
15. Ponte Borbonico su Lama Monachile, Polignano a Mare, Italy
Church of Santa Maria de Idris, Matera_© Cezary Wojtkowski_Getty Images.jpg
Grounded in the romantic pebble sands of Polignano a Mare the arches of the Ponte Borbonico su Lama Monachile hold the entrance to Lama Monachile and the best views of the city. The bridge's solid stand and clean curves humbly act as a segue to the surrounding views.
Reference list
ArchDaily. (2012). New Milan Trade Fair / Massimiliano & Doriana Fuksas. [online] Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/248138/new-milan-trade-fair-studio-fuksas [Accessed 26 Oct. 2022].
Architizer (2015). Church Santo Volto by Mario Botta Architetto. [online] Architizer. Available at: https://architizer.com/projects/church-santo-volto/ [Accessed 26 Oct. 2022].
CHO (n.d.). Monastery and Church of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria of Egypt. [online] www.culturalheritageonline.com. Available at: https://www.culturalheritageonline.com/location-1568_Monastero-e-Chiesa-di-Santa-Caterina-d%27Alessandria-d%27Egitto.php [Accessed 26 Oct. 2022].
ImaginApulia (n.d.). Cala Monachile | Lama Monachile - Polignano a Mare. [online] ImaginApulia. Available at: https://imaginapulia.com/points-of-interest/cala-monachile-polignano-a-mare/ [Accessed 26 Oct. 2022].
Luciano Pia (2015). 25 Green / Luciano Pia. [online] ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/609260/25-green-luciano-pia.
Opera Di Santa Maria Del Fiore, (n.d.). The Brunelleschi Dome | The Opera del Duomo of Florence. [online] duomo.firenze.it. Available at: https://duomo.firenze.it/en/discover/dome.
Rocco Valentini Architecture (2022). Gabella Gate / Rocco Valentini Architecture. [online] ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/984422/gabella-gate-rocco-valentini-architecture?ad_source=search&ad_medium=projects_tab [Accessed 26 Oct. 2022].
Steves, R. (n.d.). Italy’s Civita di Bagnoregio: Jewel on the Hill. [online] Rick Steves. Available at: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/civita-di-bagnoregio-italy [Accessed 26 Oct. 2022].
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Posted Sep 19, 2024
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