Casa Fontana-Silvestri, Renaissance palace on Corso Venezia, Milan, Italy
Casa Fontana-Silvestri is a Renaissance palazzo on Corso Venezia in Milan featuring ornamental terracotta frames around its windows, with rectangular designs on the lower level and arched shapes on the upper floors. The building contains an inner courtyard surrounded by a colonnade with carved capitals, displaying the craftsmanship typical of 15th-century construction.
The Fontana family built this palazzo during the 15th century on the foundations of an earlier 12th-century structure, using it as their family residence. The site had previously served as the dwelling of Milan's eastern gate guardian, giving it significance in the city's medieval layout.
The palazzo reflects the transition from Gothic to Renaissance design, with its courtyard colonnade and carved capitals showing the refined taste of 15th-century Milan's merchant class. Visitors walking through the space can sense how the building once announced the status and wealth of its owners.
The palazzo is protected as an Italian national heritage site, allowing visitors to observe its architectural details from Corso Venezia. Plan time to view the facade from different angles to fully appreciate the terracotta decorative work and the carved window frames.
The facade originally bore frescoes attributed to Bramante or Bramantino, with traces of this painted artwork still visible beneath the building's cornice. These hidden remains reveal the sophisticated artistic decoration that once adorned the wealthy family's residence.
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