Italian Neoclassical architecture refers to architecture in Italy during the Neoclassical period (1750s–1850s).

History and influences

In the 1750s and 1760s, the rich and frivolous

Rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...

was going out of fashion, and there was a growing desire to return to the simple, yet elegant classicism of architecture in

Ancient Greece Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of Classical Antiquity, classical antiquity ( AD 600), th ...

Ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...

and to a lesser extent

Renaissance architecture Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of Ancient Greece, ancient Greek and ...

. In its purest form it is this new style principally derived from the architecture of Classical Greece and the architecture of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Since it was widely based on

Classicism Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for a classical period, classical antiquity in the Western tradition, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. In its purest form, classicism is an aesthet ...

, the movement was named ''Neo''-Classicism. Neoclassical did not particularly evolve in any particular nation, but the founders were

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. Everything from villas, palaces, gardens, interiors and art began to be based on Roman and Greek themes.

Buildings and edifices

Before the discoveries of the lost cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, buildings were themed on

and Classical Athens, but were later inspired by these archaeological sites.Cartage.org.lb
Examples of Neoclassical architecture in Italy includen the

Royal Palace of Caserta The Royal Palace of Caserta ( it, Reggia di Caserta ) is a former royal residence in Caserta, southern Italy, constructed by the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies as their main residence as kings of Naples. It is the largest palace erected in Europ ...

in 1752 (some parts),

Luigi Cagnola Marchese Luigi Cagnola (9 June 1762 – 14 August 1833) was a Neoclassical Italian architect. Biography Cagnola was born in Milan. He was sent at the age of fourteen to the Clementine College at Rome, and afterwards studied at the University o ...

's Arco della Pace, the

San Carlo Theatre The Real Teatro di San Carlo ("Royal Theatre of Saint Charles"), as originally named by the Bourbon monarchy but today known simply as the Teatro (di) San Carlo, is an opera house in Naples, Italy, connected to the Royal Palace and adjacent t ...

(

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 ...

, 1810),Encyclopedia.farlex.com
/ref> San Francesco di Paolo (Naples, 1817), Pedrocchi Café (

Padua Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...

, 1816),

Canova Temple Antonio Canova (; 1 November 1757 – 13 October 1822) was an Italian Neoclassical sculptor, famous for his marble sculptures. Often regarded as the greatest of the Neoclassical artists,. his sculpture was inspired by the Baroque and the cla ...

, (Posagno, 1819),

Teatro Carlo Felice The Teatro Carlo Felice is the principal opera house of Genoa, Italy, used for performances of opera, ballet, orchestral music, and recitals. It is located on the side of Piazza De Ferrari. The hall is named for King Carlo Felice, and dates fro ...

(

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 ...

, 1827) and the Cisternone ( Livorno, 1829).

Gallery

Image:Napoli-piazzaplebiscito01.jpg, The Church of San Francesco di Paola (Naples) Image:8878 - Milano - P.za Belgiojoso - Palazzo Belgiojoso - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto - 14-Apr-2007.jpg, Palazzo Belgiojoso,

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 ...

Image:Desio_villa_Tittoni_Traversi_vista.jpg,

Villa Tittoni Traversi, Desio 300px, Street façade of Villa Tittoni Traversi. 300px, Garden facade. The Villa Traversi Tittoni, or Villa Cusani Traversi Tittoni is a rural palace in Desio, northern Italy. An original palace at the site was built by the aristocratic Cusani ...

, garden facade Image:VillaMelziLago.jpg, A view from Lake Como on the Neoclassical Villa Melzi Image:Bergamo accademia carrara 06.jpg, The

Accademia Carrara The Accademia Carrara, (), officially Accademia Carrara di Belle Arti di Bergamo, is an art gallery and an academy of fine arts in Bergamo, in Lombardy in northern Italy. The art gallery was established in about 1780 by , a Bergamasco col ...

in Bergamo Image:Villa Olmo 1.JPG, The Neoclassical

Villa Olmo Villa Olmo is a neoclassical villa located in the city of Como, northern Italy. The villa was commissioned by marquis Innocenzo Odescalchi from Swiss architect Simone Cantoni Simone Cantoni (Muggio, Switzerland , 1736- Gorgonzœla, Milan, I ...

Como Como (, ; lmo, Còmm, label= Comasco , or ; lat, Novum Comum; rm, Com; french: Côme) is a city and ''comune'' in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como. Its proximity to Lake Como and to the Alps h ...

Image:03566 - Casello sin Porta Venezia, Milano - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto 23-Jun-2007.jpg, One of the Porta Venezia booths in Milan, sandwiched between

Corso Venezia Corso Venezia is a street in Milan, Italy. It is one of the city's most exclusive and elegant avenues, being part of the city's upscale '' Quadrilatero della moda'' shopping district, along with Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga, Via Sant'Andr ...

and

Corso Buenos Aires Corso Buenos Aires is a major street in north-eastern Milan, Italy. With over 350 shops and outlets, it features the highest concentration of clothing stores in Europe. The architecture of the area is mostly late 19th- and 20th-century style; the s ...

Image:19TorinoGranMadreDio.JPG, The Gran Madre di Dio, Turin

References

{{Reflist *Italian Architecture in Italy Architectural styles

History and influences

Buildings and edifices

Gallery

See also

References