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| Two of the apartment blocks in Coppedè |
This is an area that will undoubtedly blow you away! It is both a bizarre and totally fascinating part
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| Corner building |
of Rome. It is a sort of Art Nouveau extravaganza displaying also the most striking Italian style inspired by the Florentine Renaissance.
It is reminiscent of Florence, because its architect was a native Florentine, whose inspiration blended into the Art Nouveau spirit of the time.
Gino Coppedè (1866-1927) was an Italian architect, who was also a sculptor and a decorator. He worked in Rome in 1917 until his death. This is when he started planning what is now known as the Quartiere Coppedè (Coppedè Quarter).
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From Termini to Piazza
Buenos Aires |
To get there, I chose to walk from Termini station. It takes about 30 minutes. It may sound like a long hike across the northern section of town, but Rome is so full of unexpected wonders that it is truly worth it!
The focus point is Piazza Buenos Aires, a square that sounds exotic. Yet, it is an Argentine section of town, recalling that many Italians left for Argentina and its capital.
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| Sta.Maria Addolorata bell tower |
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| The church inside décor |
As a matter of fact, the piazza highlight is a church called Santa Maria Addolorata (Our Lady of Sorrows), which was founded in 1910 by an Argentine priest and has now become the Argentine national church in Rome.
It is worth going inside to admire its neo-byzantine mosaics.
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| Archway entrance to Coppedè Quarter |
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| The square fountain |
Just behind the church, near Via Tagliamento, is where the amazing area of Coppedè can be found. It is rather small in size, but generates a feeling of awe meant to be discovered at your own pace for its weird and yet wonderful architecture!
The quarter entrance is marked by a monumental arch tugged between two buildings. It leads to the heart of this Art Nouveau district: Piazza Mincio, a circular center-point in the area with a fountain called fontana delle rane (the fountain of the frogs).
The architect found his inspiration in the Greek and Roman mythologies as well as in the Assyrian-Babylonian one. Both blend into an Art-Deco style with a touch of Baroque and Gothic arts, in a totally unexpected encounter. Right on Piazza Mincio, there is a huge villa - in the purest Italian style - called Villino delle Fate with some remarkable mosaics and paintings. One of them
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| 'Fiorenza Bella' |
reveals the Roman she-wolf, Rome's emblem; another one named Fiorenza Bella, is a scene paying tribute to Coppedè's city of birth.
All the palazzi (palaces) and mansions are different in style and in color, making it a unique place prone to be discovered leisurely on foot, providing a feeling of charm and awe. It may not be surprising to find out that many embassies have elected the area as a prime choice. It gives a specific aura to one of the most amazing places in the Eternal City, a district still largely unknown to most.
Christian Sorand
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| Corner building facing the square |
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| A corner window details |
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| A building entrance |
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| Villino delle Fate |
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| Garden view of the Florentine villa |
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| A pink-colored mansion in Coppedè |
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| A building balcony |
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| Private villa entrance |
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| The Swedish Embassy |
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| An orange-colored mansion |
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| A façade architecture |
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| A mask on the façcade |
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| Entrance to an apartment building |
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| The spiderweb building |
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| A mixed-style corner building |
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| Classic window with balcony |
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