Art nouveau villas Itinerary

The town of Milano Marittima was born on 14 August 1912 from the dream of its founder, the Milanese painter Giuseppe Palanti. The new tourist resort embodied the idea of the "Garden City", where nature was combined with the practicality of living.

A series of Art Nouveau villas were inserted within the centuries-old pine forest according to a precise town planning which, within a few years, would be transformed into a modern seaside resort.

The villas, in part still present, represent the liking of an era which at the beginning of the twentieth century identified itself with the typical Art Nouveau and neo-Gothic style. Between Milano Marittima and Cervia, many have been identified and registered. This is the villas itinerary we propose:

1) PALANTI, 1914

Designed by the architect Giulio Paleni of Bergamo, it was among the first villas in Milano Marittima.
Dedicated by Giuseppe Palanti the artist who designed the Garden City to his wife Ada, it remains a symbol of the twentieth century. The decorative apparatus is Romanesque, the designs of the external frescoes are the work of Palanti himself. A plaque dedicated to the artist by Aldo Spallicci is affixed to the facade to commemorate his death.

2) MAIOLATESI, 1931

Based on a project by the surveyor Antonio Lugaresi, it was enlarged in 1932 and 1933. One of the best examples of a Liberty villa, with hints of historical architecture and art nouveau styles. It retains some secessionist elements.

3) COLMEGNA, 1932

Based on a project by the surveyor Antonio Lugaresi, it was enlarged in 1932 and 1933. One of the best examples of a Liberty villa, with hints of historical architecture and art nouveau styles. It retains some secessionist elements.

4) DE MARIA, 1937

Based on a project by the surveyor Antonio Lugaresi and requested by Gherardo De Maria, owner of the legendary Woodpecker. It retains the setting of a nineteenth-century villa, while its Liberty qualification relies on the combination of details. Secessionist elements and hints of historic architecture merge into it.

5) PERELLI, 1940

Based on a project by the architect Mario Cavallè, it passes from the initial experimentalism to the purest rationalism. The salient feature is an elevated rotunda set on 5 long columns. Large circular hall divided by 14 French windows, with a cantilevered gallery that surrounds the perimeter. On the flat roof there is a large terrace. It hosted the galas of the upper class.

6) RIGHINI, 1928

Designed by the architect Matteo Focaccia, it is located in the ancient Via dei Bagni. It preserves Liberty and Decò structural and decorative elements. A villa made up of stairs, small rooms and balconies, later enlarged with great harmonization between the ancient and the modern. The decorations with floral motifs are reflected in the sumptuous garden, the largest of the current villas.

7) DAVID, 1923

Based on a project by the architect Matteo Focaccia, it was built by the writer and journalist Max David’s father, Attilio David, dedicating it to his wife. Max, a war correspondent for Corriere della Sera, returned to his birthplace after each trip. Among his works is "Volapié", the book praised by Ernest Hemingway which won the Bagutta prize.

8) DAMERINI, 1923

Designed by the architect Matteo Focaccia, the work reads like a single jet. The rooms take in light from slits and openings, enclosed by colored glass, but always open onto a small balcony. An authentic masterpiece by the architect from Cervia, who caressed the stones with the palm of his hands to test their roughness.