Messina Palace Magaudda (Gino Coppedè) 4

Luigi "Gino" Coppedè (26 September 1866 – 20 September 1927) was an Italian architect, sculptor and decorator. He was an exponent of Art Nouveau.

Biography

Coppedè was born in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...

, a son of Mariano Coppedè and brother of

Adolfo Coppedè Adolfo may refer to: * Adolfo, São Paulo, a Brazilian municipality * Adolfo (designer), Cuban-born American fashion designer * Adolfo or Adolf Adolf (also spelt Adolph or Adolphe, Adolfo and when Latinised Adolphus) is a given name used in Ge ...

(also an architect, and occasional collaborator. Adolfo's most notable solo project was the Castello Cova (also known as the Cova Viviani Palace) of

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

). Gino's early education was at a Pious School and later he attended the local Florentine School of Industrial Decorative Arts, where he graduated with a diploma. He at first worked in his father's woodcarving studio, between 1885 and 1890. It was here that his sculpture work developed and he came into contact with various influential Tuscan architects. In 1889 he married Beatrice, daughter of sculptor Pasquale Romanelli with whom he had three daughters. His first main work was the

Mackenzie Castle The Mackenzie Castle (Italian: ''Castello Mackenzie'') is a historical manor in the Castelletto quarter of Genoa, northern Italy. It is an example of Gothic Revival architecture. Registered as a cultural spaceCastelletto quarter of

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...

in 1890. The work was commissioned by Evan Mackenzie, a Genovese banker. This was to be his first major success, and as a result he moved his family to Genoa. Thanks to MacKenzie, he got a number of commissions. and during this period he was an occasional member of the Municipal Council of Genoa, on the town Planning commission. In 1891 he entered the

Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze The Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze ("academy of fine arts of Florence") is an instructional art academy in Florence, in Tuscany, in central Italy. It was founded by Cosimo I de' Medici in 1563, under the influence of Giorgio Vasari. ...

where he became professor of architectural design. Between 1890-1893, Coppedé worked on Count Marquis Puccio’s hunting castle “Villa Puccio” in Capriata d’Orba. The 1.900 sqm building is today known as Villa Val Lemme. Several academic organizations granted him honorary degrees. He was named "Academic of Merit" at the

Accademia Ligustica The Accademia Ligustica di Belle Arti is a tertiary academy of fine arts located in Genoa, Italy. It also houses a museum (Museo dell'Accademia Ligustica di Belle Arti), which includes works of Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, Giuseppe Abbati, Anto ...

of Genoa, later, Academician of the "Pietro Vannucci" Perugia Academy of Fine Arts, then Academician for the Academy of Fine Arts in Urbino" and also later assumed a doctorate from the Engineering School of Rome. Starting in 1917, Coppedè worked in Rome on a series of buildings in the Art Nouveau style, forming what would later be known as the Quartiere Coppedè ("Coppedè Quarter"). In June of the same year he became a professor of General Architecture at the

University of Pisa The University of Pisa ( it, Università di Pisa, UniPi), officially founded in 1343, is one of the oldest universities in Europe. History The Origins The University of Pisa was officially founded in 1343, although various scholars place ...

. Also in 1919 he was engaged in the construction of buildings in Messina under the patronage of the banking company Fratelli Cerruti

. That year he collaborated with his brothers on the decorative fitting out and furnishings of several ships owned by the Lloyd Sabaudo and Cosulich Triestina Navigation Company. At this time Gaetano Rapisardi, the Sicilian architect who had married one of his daughters, worked with him on several projects in his Roman studio. In 1920 he designed the Palazzo Galli in

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

and the Villa Barsanti at

Pietrasanta Pietrasanta is a town and ''comune'' on the coast of northern Tuscany in Italy, in the province of Lucca. Pietrasanta is part of Versilia, on the last foothills of the Apuan Alps, about north of Pisa. The town is located off the coast, where the ...

, among others. In April 1920 his wife died in Genoa and the following December his father, Mariano Coppedè. Gino, along with his brother Adolfo, then took over as directors of his fathers studio "The House Artistica". Between 1920 and 1921 he worked together with Ing. Ugolotti and Ing. GL Mellucci on the preparations for a project to move the main railway station of Rome. In 1921, in collaboration with his brother Adolfo, during his sojourn in Lierna he designed the Villa La Gaeta on Lake Como. Coppedè began building the palatial residence of the Marquess of Motilla in

Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...

in 1924. In 1926 he was appointed resident professor "emeritus" at the

Academy of Fine Arts, Florence The Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze ("academy of fine arts of Florence") is an instructional art academy in Florence, in Tuscany, in central Italy. It was founded by Cosimo I de' Medici in 1563, under the influence of Giorgio Vasari. ...

in Florence. He died in Rome 20 September 1927 after suffering from gangrene of the lungs after complications following surgery. He is buried in the family tomb at the cemetery of San Miniato in Florence.

Commissions

Capriata d'Orba Capriata d'Orba is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southeast of Turin and about south of Alessandria. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,862 and an area of . ...

* Villa Val Lemme (Villa Puccio) 1890-1893 - Strada Val Lemme 16 In

: * Castello Mackenzie 1897–1902 – via C.Cabella 15 * Villa Coppedè 1902 – via Rossetti 33 * Castle Türke 1903 – via head of Santa Chiara 24B * The English Cemetery section of the Staglieno Cemetery in 1904 * The Davidson Tomb 1904 – Staglieno Cemetery * Villa Dellepiane 1904–1905 – on a private road, via Piaggio 33 * Tomb of Ernesto Puccio 1905–1907 – Staglieno Cemetery] * Chapel of the Convent of the Sisters of Reparation (destroyed) in 1905 – via Curtatone * The Elsag Datamat office building Elsag Datamat, San Giorgio 1905–1906 – via L.Manara (

Sestri Ponente Sestri Ponente is an industrial suburb of Genoa in northwest Italy. It is part of the Medio Ponente ''municipio'' of Genoa. Geography It is situated on the Ligurian Sea four miles to the west of the city, between Pegli and Cornigliano. Its ...

) * Villa Mario Canepa 1905–1906 – on a private road, via Piaggio 41 * Villa Martini 1905–1906 – Sal.Nuova NS del Monte 5A * Cottage Mackenzie 1905–1906 (destroyed in 1962) – Sal.Nuova NS del Monte 5C * Villino Queirolo 1906 – Sal.Nuova NS del Monte 5B * Villino Cogliolo 1906 – via Piaggio 44 * Palazzo Bogliolo 1906 – corso Firenze 9 * Palazzo Zuccarino 1906–1907 – via Maragliano 2 * Grand Hotel Miramare Genoa 1906–1908 – via Pagano Doria, Taormina * Entrance to the electric railway station, Principe – Granarolo 1908 – via the Lagaccio * Villa Micheli (Castle Bruzzo) 1904? -1910 – Via Piaggio 9 * Palazzo della Meridiana (internal restructuring) 1907? -1913 – Piazza della Meridiana * Hotel Eden (restructuring) in 1907? -1913 – Via Casotti * Chapel Borzino 1908–1910 – Staglieno Cemetery * Palazzo Pastorino 1900-1910 – Via B.Bosco 57 * Palazzo Zuccarino-Cerruti 1909–1912 – Via XX Settembre * Villino Bozzano 1910–1911 – Sal.Nuova NS del Monte 5 * Adelina Davidson Nursery School 1911 – Pz. Carpaneto – Borgo Fornari – Ronco Scrivia (Ge) * Apartment Block (attributed) 1911–1912 – Via Francesco Sivori, 10, 16136 Genova * Apartment Profumo 1913–1914 – corso Italia 44 * Marina Exhibition and marinara Hygiene 1914 (destroyed) – Victory Square / Piazza Verdi * Tomb of Hector Moro 1913–1924 – Staglieno Cemetery * Villa Maria Cerruti 1914 – via Piaggio 31 * Chapel of Canali de Althaus 1921 – Staglieno Cemetery * Villa Canali Gaslini and gatehouse 1924–1925 * Villa Maria Cerruti 1924–1925 – via Piaggio 27 * Villa Strameri 1919–1927 – via Sforza 21A In

: * the Palazzo Galli to Saint Lucia. * Design for the accommodation Monte Echia

Castel dell'Ovo Castel dell'Ovo ("Egg Castle") is a seafront castle in Naples, located on the former island of Megaride, now a peninsula, on the Gulf of Naples in Italy. The castle's name comes from a legend about the Roman poet Virgil, who had a reputation in ...

* Borgo Marinari within the

Borgo Santa Lucia Borgo Santa Lucia, or simply Santa Lucia ("Saint Lucy orough), is a historical ''rione'' of Naples, Italy, facing the coast. The area rises around the street of the same name, in turn named after the basilica of , the presence of which is atteste ...

. In Messina: * The Palace Costarelli (1913) – via Tommaso Cannizzaro. The building was partially destroyed by bombing in World War II, rebuilt after the war. Of the original building only a loggia and little else remains * The Palace Tremi (also known as Palazzo del Gallo) 1914 – via Centonze, the intersection with Via Santa Cecilia * A building (also known as the Palazzo dello Zodiaco) – Piazza Duomo * Two Palaces for the Cerruti family of Genoa – Via Garibaldi In Rome: * The characterful group of houses in Rome (known as Coppedè) between Via Tagliamento and Piazza Buenos Aires is his design. * A building in Via Veneto 7, at the junction of Piazza Barberini, just behind the

Fontana delle Api Fontana delle Api (''Fountain of the Bees'') is a fountain located in the Piazza Barberini in Rome where the Via Veneto enters the piazza. It was sculpted by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and completed in April 1644. Description ''Fontana delle Api'' co ...

. In

* The Villa Barsanti built between 1920 and 1922. In Livorno: * Plans for a grand bathhouse around 1926, which was not realized. In Tuscany, near Bucine ( Arezzo): * The Lupinari Castle, the Cav. Luigi Frisoni Edward, project starting in 1906, and ending in 1908.The Lupinari Castle
/ref> In

Belém Belém (; Portuguese for Bethlehem; initially called Nossa Senhora de Belém do Grão-Pará, in English Our Lady of Bethlehem of Great Pará) often called Belém of Pará, is a Brazilian city, capital and largest city of the state of Pará in t ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

: * The

Basilica of Our Lady of Nazareth of Exile The Basilica of Our Lady of Nazareth of Exile (also the Basilica of Belém; pt, Basílica Nossa Senhora de Nazaré do Desterro) is a minor basilica of the Catholic Church located in the city of Belém, Pará, Brazil. Its construction started in 1 ...

, project starting in 1909

Cultural references

The Villa La Gaeta on Lake Como; featured as a film location for James Bond in Casino Royale. Lyudmila Filipova in her book Dante's Antichthon published in 2010, has the main characters attempt to break the code of the Hidden City (the Quartiere Coppedè ("Coppedè Quarter")), built by Gino in Rome. In 2016

Jonathan Meades Jonathan Turner Meades (born 21 January 1947) is an English writer and film-maker, primarily on the subjects of place, culture, architecture and food. His work spans journalism, fiction, essays, memoir and over fifty highly idiosyncratic tele ...

in his BBC Four Art Documentary programme "Ben Building: Mussolini, Monuments and Modernism" (2016) attempted to create an

urban myth An urban legend (sometimes contemporary legend, modern legend, urban myth, or urban tale) is a genre of folklore comprising stories or fallacious claims circulated as true, especially as having happened to a "friend of a friend" or a family m ...

by claiming as a jest that the song

Geno Geno may refer to: __NOTOC__ People *Geno (given name), including a list of people with the name *Marián Geňo (born 1984), Czech footballer *Evgeni Malkin (born 1986), Russian ice hockey player nicknamed Geno Art and entertainment *Geno (son ...

by Dexys Midnight Runners was inspired by the architect.

References

External links

'' The modern buildings of Italy: the facades of buildings in the modern style: Genova ''
Torino, ed.Crudo, 1909.

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Coppede, Gino 1866 births 1927 deaths Architects from Florence Art Nouveau architects