Surprising Art Nouveau in Rome

The Art Nouveau, or Liberty style as it became known in Italy, famously thrived in northern Europe at the turn of the 20th century. At the time, Rome was growing fast as the new capital city of the recently unified Italy, expanding into the surrounding countryside. Many new neighbourhoods were being developed with no great architectural innovation, but rather following the style of classical Roman palaces. They had to fulfill the need of building as quickly as possible many appartment blocks to accomodate the new State employees.

Villino delle fate in the Coppedè district

However, one area from the period stands out: the Coppede district near viale Regina Margherita and via Salaria. In a few streets crossing over on Piazza Mincio, the stunning Art Nouveau buildings are there to show that even a city as old as Rome didn’t miss out on the innovative style of the time. Their architect was Gino Coppedè, a Florentine who in the 1910s was awarded the construction of a modern residential area near the relatively new district of Salario and Trieste in the northern part of the city, with the condition of giving it a Roman touch. To do so, Coppedè used classical architectural features such as arches, columns and sculptural reliefs to create extravagant and eclectic buildings in the spirit of the fashionable Art Nouveau style.

detail of a Coppedè house

Today, the Coppedè district is a sought after area of Rome, because of its amazing buildings and spacious appartments. It is regularly used as a film set, and some of the celebrities from the world of art and cinema are known to live there.