Municipalities: Municipalities:Faenza

Location: Historical Centre

 

Tourist offices:

Itinerary details: The Neo-classical period is notoriously one of the happiest – perhaps the happiest – for Faenza that thanks to a certain economic availability, the expertise of several of its architects (mainly Pistocchi, but also Antolini and Tomba) and the open mentality of the patron bourgeois class (often of Jacobin or in any case “progressive” styles, directly from the French Revolution) managed to open a large “site” of building renovation, especially in civil architecture. A first example can be found right in thecentre in Palazzo Laderchi cornering with Piazza Liberta and Corso Garibaldi. The exterior has quite heavy neo 1500’s shapes, whilst the interior (only partially visible) are pompous and decorated with stuccoes and frescoes. Palazzo Milzetti in Via Tonducci (heading south-west from the piazza, Rione Verde) can be visited in its entirety. This is a single work that is perfectly conserved on a European level. Here also there is the solemn “seriousness” of the exterior that gives no idea of the triumph of lightness hidden inside: the architecture is admirably in accordance with the decorations of frescoes, ornamentations and stuccoes created by a team of artists of Faenza co-ordinated by Felice Giani (1758-1823) of Piemonte. The halls (such as the “Feste” hall) and the boudoir are extremely famous, with refined frescoes of mythological subjects. For its neo-classicism the Teatro Comunale (Theatre) cannot be missed and can be visited upon request to the Municipality. The theatre was built between 1780 and 1788 of a design by Pistocchi, who was inspired by the Olimpico of Vicenza for its “Italian style” plan and for the scanning of the columns with their statues on top. In addition to a series of private buildings (visible from outside , such as Palazzo Gessiand Palazzo Conti-Sinibaldi), we advise visiting several buildings that give an idea of the 1800’s of Faenza, where neo-classicism is extended into other cities to then finally give in to eclecticism. The Fontanone is very pleasant, built in 1824 by Tomba as the perspective back drop to the avenue of plane trees of the “Stradone”. Interesting and by the same author are the churches of S. Sigismondo and S. Vitale (the first almost always closed, different to the second that also houses temporary exhibitions) and, again in Corso Mazzini, there is Casa Bubani (again by Tomba) and the adjacent Palazzo Zucchini (by the architect A. Zannoni, 1866).

Access and requirements: Once again we advise moving by foot or on bicycle (the Municipality offers free hire and the bicycles are available in various parts of the city, in this case at the piazza), given the no entry of cars in various parts of the itinerary. Some of the buildings indicated are of private property and therefore visible only from the outside. Palazzo Laderchi is of public property but still partly used as office space and about to be put through long and complex restoration works. Palazzo Milzetti can visited completely (entry is not free); this building is the home of the Museum of Neo-classicism and mainly a museum of itself (the container is of such importance that its eclipses its contents). Of the other buildings, such as Palazzo Zucchini, the internal courtyards are also visible (and usually always open), or take advantage of several occasions – such as exhibitions, for the Fontanone and the church of San Vitale – for a thorough visit.