Thursday, January 7, 2010

Palazzina dei Nonni

Palazzina dei Nonni, LivornoBetween brave surfers and daring pilots, last Saturday we paid a visit in “Via Ravizza”, still in Ardenza, to take some pictures of this curious building dated 1900.Palazzina dei Nonni, LivornoWe were tipped off about this fairy tale “palazzo” by one of our Stefanos, who even gave us the few data about the building.Palazzina dei Nonni, LivornoPalazzina dei Nonni, LivornoIt is called “Palazzina dei Nonni”, a name which literally means Grandparents' Little Palace, where “palazzina” is intended as a minor palace, just above a normal building.Palazzina dei Nonni, LivornoPainted with pastel colors, the building is decorated with fantastic sculptures, tiles and details of branches, leaves and fruits.Palazzina dei Nonni, LivornoThe massive ornate balcony (more a bow window) of the first floor is quite at odds with the lightness of the simple wooden balcony upstairs.

32 comments:

Julie said...

It is quite some building, VP. The colour scheme is so sympathetic. That gorgon in the first image really is going right off!!

Tash said...

Has a wedding cake feel to it for me. Are those very large knockers in the 1st photo - LOL.
Lovely photos of the details and the full frontal views.

Luis Gomez said...

It is a beautiful building. Great details.

Leif Hagen said...

What a scrumptious building! The architectural details, the balconies! Wow!

James said...

What a great old building and a great presentation too.

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

That's a wild little statue thingy. Amazing!

An interesting building!

B SQUARED said...

I know there is a "Knock, Knock" joke here, but I'm not going to touch it. An interesting building, nevertheless.

Anonymous said...

Whoever built this this sure likes tons of ornamentation! Great fun for photographers, though!

Hilda said...

Fantastic details! Though that first sculpture is the stuff of nightmares. The upstairs balcony looks like a fairly recent addition or even an afterthought. I wonder what the three moons on the shield-shaped tile stands for.

Gunn said...

I am soooooo impressed about your shots, these beautiful buildings with so many amazing details!
Thanks for sharing!

Cezar and Léia said...

Hello VP,
Thanks so much for advice me about my post, you are right, I already fixed it, thanks dear friend!
Hmmm This building is really a fairy tale “palazzo”, beautiful details and I love the colours and the charming balcony.
The last shot is enchanting, I loved the angle of this shot!
Léia

cieldequimper said...

It's a gorgeous building, but somehow I would have dated it slightly later! So pink, the colours really is amazing in the first shot!

Tinsie said...

Super shots! There's a pink and creme building in my hometown, it's my favourite one. This one's even grander, I love it :-)

brattcat said...

These are really fine photographs of a wonderful confection of a building.

Lois said...

It's lovely! I really like the pink.

Halcyon said...

I like this building. The color and details are wonderful!

Three Rivers, Michigan said...

Was it built for someone's grandparents? A lovely gift... such a delicate pretty building, and such a horrendous - uhm, whatzit, in the first photo!
:-)
Three Rivers Daily Photo

Rob Siemann said...

I really wonder about the people who had this built. Would have loved meeting them!

stromsjo said...

Note to self: Get a palazzina one of these days.

VP said...

@ Per - Wait a few days, you'll get more choice...

Lowell said...

Very unusual. You won't find anything like that in the States. Unfortunately.

I especially liked that first photo for its weirdness! It's very strange. And my second favorite is the balcony!

Great post, VP!

When are you going to visit Florida?

margaret said...

The first photo is even stranger and more amazing than Lalique's damselfly. May I download it? I have a wee fascination with the female form in weird ways :)

joo said...

The building is really wonderful, but I love the details the most - they are just adorable!

Ilse said...

OMG! I want it!!! I want to own it!!! I want to live there!

Copenhagen said...

I like the colour of this building.

Wolynski said...

The top photo has a pair of breasts attached to no one? Gorgeous color on the building. The wooden balcony looks like it was added later.

Dina said...

The first photo's creature, is it called "The mother-in-law"? LOL

Thanks for your good question about the status quo in the Holy Sepulchre. You have an answer waiting.

Babzy.B said...

Great architecture and strange sculpture :)

Andreea said...

A beautiful building although the first photo baffled me a little with its strangeness. Amazing details, the tiles look great from what I could discern.

VP said...

@ Jacob - We'll leave tomorrow, if we could!

Unknown said...

This is a beautiful building with some great details! I just love the first one!

Kaori said...

What in the world is that creature in the first photo? :D Have never seen anything quite like that before!