Former ice house, Historic landmark in the Cascine park, Florence, Italy
The Former Ice House is a small pyramid-shaped building inside the Cascine park in Florence, designed by the architect Giuseppe Manetti. It sits along Viale degli Olmi, near the Pavoniere swimming pool, surrounded by tall trees.
The building was erected in 1796 to store snow and ice collected from the Arno river, supplying the Grand Ducal household and local markets with fresh food throughout the warmer months. Over time it lost its original function but remained standing as a historic structure.
The building can be seen from outside at any time while walking through the park, with no entry required. A visit pairs well with a stroll through the wider Cascine park, which has flat, easy paths along the Arno.
The pyramid shape was not a decorative choice but a technical one: the sloping walls helped keep the interior temperature steady and slowed the melting of stored ice. Florence has a few other buildings in the Egyptian style, including an obelisk in the Boboli garden and a small temple in the Torrigiani garden, but this is the only one that had a practical everyday purpose.
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