Spinelli Palace, Art Nouveau palace in Reggio Calabria, Italy.
Spinelli Palace is a Liberty-style building on Via Zecca, between Villa Zerbi and Palazzo Giuffrè, near Reggio Calabria's seafront. It has a basement and two upper floors on a rectangular plan. The main front has a projecting central bay with a round-arched entrance and floral decoration; the sea and Via Giulia fronts show rusticated ground floors, arched windows, balconies with geometric balustrades and corner verandas with roof gardens.
The project was submitted to the Building Commission in July 1920 in the name of engineer Pietro Spinelli, the future owner, though the building was designed by engineer Gino Zani. It stands between Villa Zerbi and Palazzo Giuffrè, in the block bounded by Corso Vittorio Emanuele III, Via Giulia and Via Zecca. It later housed the rectorate of the Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria.
The palace demonstrates how wealthy families in Reggio Calabria embraced European design trends for their homes during a period of growth. The decorated surfaces and curved forms show the taste of people who wanted to express their connection to modern ideas.
The palace stands in the block between Corso Vittorio Emanuele III, Via Giulia and Via Zecca, next to Villa Zerbi and Palazzo Giuffrè. The main entrance with its round arch faces Via Zecca, behind a fenced courtyard garden; the sea-facing and Via Giulia sides show the rusticated ground floor and corner verandas. It housed the rectorate of the University of Reggio Calabria, so the interior is not open as a residence.
The facade shows a rare use of floral and organic motifs that were unusual for residential buildings in southern Italy at that time. These elements stand out distinctly from the stricter classical designs that otherwise dominated the region.
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