Generali Building, Neoclassical office building and heritage site on Jaffa Road, Jerusalem.
The Generali Building is an office building and heritage site with triangular architecture on Jaffa Road in Jerusalem, its sides extending in a V-shape. The first floor features roughly-dressed stone while the upper stories display finely-dressed stone.
Italian architect Marcello Piacentini designed this structure in 1934 for Assicurazioni Generali insurance company, which operated there from 1935 until 1946. British forces then took control of the building as the company's operations ended.
A stone relief of a winged lion crowns the building with Latin inscriptions representing Saint Mark, a symbol tied to its origins as an Italian insurance headquarters. Visitors walking by often notice this detail only when looking closely at the top of the structure.
The building now houses government offices and various commercial establishments on the ground level, which may limit access to certain areas. Visitors should note that interior spaces may not always be available for tours.
A weather station on the roof recorded the strongest wind gust ever measured in Israel during a 1974 storm. This scientific instrument continues to track weather conditions above Jerusalem's historic center today.
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