Houzz Tour: A Paris House That Is a Home & an Art Gallery
These collectors reimagine an Italian palace as the perfect gallery for modern art and design
Two collectors from Milan have made a home for themselves under the vaults of an 18th-century palace in Galatina, Italy, the Palazzo Mongiò dell’Elefante. This unusual location turned out to be the ideal place to exhibit their collection of mid-century and modern art and design.
A few years later, they started to long for a bigger, grander space to host their design collection. The nearby Baroque city of Galatina, a well-kept secret compared with other cities in Apulia, seemed like the perfect location. Then they had the opportunity to buy one of the two wings of the Palazzo Mongiò dell’Elefante, a venerable architectural complex built in 1723 in the town’s historic centre that had been abandoned 50 years earlier. In addition to the spectacular spaces and the great potential offered by its size, the palace impressed Scolari and Pizzinini with the contrast between the piano nobile, or principal floor, and the unusual third floor, which has big windows and a hint of modernity thanks to its open plan.
The large ground-floor entrance hall gained a new intensity in the six-month-long renovation, completed in 2013. Dominated by a type of star vault, it was painted anthracite grey to dramatically mark the transition from exterior to interior. At the end of the hall, artist Giovanni Lamorgese’s installation emphasises the mysterious atmosphere of the space.
The unusual character of the home inspired the owners to host cultural events for large audiences. Contemporary art exhibitions dedicated to the theme of light in art – Luce (2015) and Luce 01 (2016) – took place in the side rooms in the summers.
Here’s an essential guide for art lovers
The unusual character of the home inspired the owners to host cultural events for large audiences. Contemporary art exhibitions dedicated to the theme of light in art – Luce (2015) and Luce 01 (2016) – took place in the side rooms in the summers.
Here’s an essential guide for art lovers
In the piano nobile on the second floor, artwork is thoughtfully arranged to avoid overfilling the space. Beneath the impressive vaulted ceiling stand a few carefully selected pieces of furniture, delineating the space like punctuation marks: The smooth peacock-blue seats, Gerrit Rietveld’s Red Blue chair and a table at the room’s centre. The ribbonlike red sculpture stretching across the vault, by Italian sculptor Eduard Habicher, adds an unforgettable touch.
Set off from the living room are four rooms, a home office and three guest bedrooms. Besides friends, the owners also host tourists attracted by the majesty of the palace.
Set off from the living room are four rooms, a home office and three guest bedrooms. Besides friends, the owners also host tourists attracted by the majesty of the palace.
A bedroom on the “piano nobile” level
In every room in both the living and sleeping quarters, the unifying leitmotif is 1950s style. The owners’ interest in the beginning of the mid-century modern period, with a particular predilection for Italian art and design, creates a curious contrast between the architectural grandeur of the building and the tapered shapes of this style. The interaction of these two components balances the natural majesty of the house with a touch of understatement. The original cement-tile floors, together with the earthy wall colours, emphasise each room’s decor.
In every room in both the living and sleeping quarters, the unifying leitmotif is 1950s style. The owners’ interest in the beginning of the mid-century modern period, with a particular predilection for Italian art and design, creates a curious contrast between the architectural grandeur of the building and the tapered shapes of this style. The interaction of these two components balances the natural majesty of the house with a touch of understatement. The original cement-tile floors, together with the earthy wall colours, emphasise each room’s decor.
The top floor is called suppinne in the local dialect, meaning the empty space separating the roof from the piano nobile. The open-plan space was completely renovated. Scolari and Pizzinini stay on this level during their winter visits, as the smaller spaces are easier to heat. The low ceilings create an intimate and warm atmosphere, and the large windows allow great bursts of light into the room even in wintertime. Again, design pieces from the 1950s are carefully displayed. Alongside the Eames lounge chair with ottoman sit a 1950s couch, the P40 chair by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno (in teal), a sideboard by Gio Ponti, and a wall light by Stilnovo (closest to the doorway on the right).
The rooms on the upper floor are all on different levels, and this staggered layout results in different ceiling heights from room to room.
Learn how to weave magic with skylights
Learn how to weave magic with skylights
Just a few steps down from the living area lies the kitchen. Stainless steel coexists pleasantly with both the old classical pieces and the clean minimalist lines, giving the space a contemporary touch.
Beneath the kitchen skylight that so beautifully fills the space, we find an impressive collectible: A sideboard by Borsani with handles designed by Lucio Fontana, an example of the fruitful collaboration between the designer and the artist in the early 1950s. Above the sideboard are wall sconces by Luigi Caccia Dominioni.
In the dining room, the Medea chairs by Vittorio Nobili stand around a table designed by Scolari himself. Hanging on the wall is a dish set by Ponti for Ceramiche Franco Pozzi. It dates to 1967.
Check out these top 10 pictures of dining rooms on Houzz
Check out these top 10 pictures of dining rooms on Houzz
Upper-floor terraces overlook downtown Galatina. Even the exterior spaces reveal the interplay of the classical local spirit and contemporary design, with a bench of Lecce limestone, decked in neutral-coloured cushions, juxtaposed with the intense blue of the Thinking Man’s chair, designed by Jasper Morrison for Cappellini.
We find the same mixture of historical references and modern style in the bathroom. A chest of drawers purchased from Studio Quaranta in Brescia, Italy, goes great with a set of black ceramics by Giovanni Lamorgese and with the piece on the wall, Blu by Helmut Pizzinini, a cousin of one of the owners.
That being said, this setup can change at a moment’s notice, depending on the owners’ whims. They consider their house to be a creative canvas where they can constantly reinvent their style. Still other plans lie beyond the boundaries of Palazzo Mongiò. With help from friends, the two collectors have recently acquired a 16th-century residence where they will reimagine another local architectural gem through their personal lens and instinct for stylish disruption.
Read more:
Houzz Tour: This Flat Defies Mumbai’s Space Crunch With 6 Bedrooms
Tell us:
What did you like the most about this home? Tell us in the Comments below.
That being said, this setup can change at a moment’s notice, depending on the owners’ whims. They consider their house to be a creative canvas where they can constantly reinvent their style. Still other plans lie beyond the boundaries of Palazzo Mongiò. With help from friends, the two collectors have recently acquired a 16th-century residence where they will reimagine another local architectural gem through their personal lens and instinct for stylish disruption.
Read more:
Houzz Tour: This Flat Defies Mumbai’s Space Crunch With 6 Bedrooms
Tell us:
What did you like the most about this home? Tell us in the Comments below.
Who lives here: Antonio Scolari and Christian Pizzinini
Location: Galatina, Lecce province, Italy
Size: 400 square meters (about 4,300 square feet) over three levels
Designer: Pizzinini Scolari Comunicazione
A friend introduced Antonio Scolari, left, and Christian Pizzinini to the idea of buying a place in the beautiful Apulia region, in the heel of Italy’s boot. They arrived there fascinated by the increasing popularity of this quiet and remote windswept land, which borders the sea to the east and the west. It wasn’t long before they bought their first apartment in the small town of Nardò, where they tried out a new decorating scheme that integrated the local landscape with a minimalist contemporary style.