Elegance, tourism, and prestigious properties: Liberty style in Viareggio
The nineteenth-century beauty of Viareggio’s most important buildings
Among the many factors that make Viareggio famous, the main one is Liberty style architecture. This architectural style characterizes many buildings such as movie theaters, shops, cafes, beach clubs, and hotels. Viareggio’s Liberty style buildings make the city look very different from classic tourist destinations. Broker Immobiliare Exclusive Real Estate lists elegant luxury villas for sale in Viareggio, a city whose architecture recalls to the mind the elegance of the Belle Époque.
Liberty style is the Italian variant of the artistic movement mainly known as Art Nouveau. This movement started in Belgium between the late 1800s and the early 1900s thanks to artchitect Victor Horta. In Italy was named Libery Style after Sir Arthur Lasenby Liberty’s shop, which sold furniture and supplies in this style. Other than the big cities of Milan, Turin, and Bologna, among others, Viareggio is also known for its many Liberty style buildings.
Liberty style spread in Viareggio, as the city was a tourist destination for leading architects and artists as early as the late 1800s. The most widely used material for Liberty style architecture in Viareggio are glass, stucco, cement, and ceramic. Oriental and arabesque motifs characterize many buildings.
The most imposing building near the far end of the promenade by the pier, is the Gran Caffè Margherita, a historic building which, aside from the historic café, houses a restaurant and the bookstore Mondadori. What makes it iconic are its two turrets with oriental looking cupolas with yellow and green ceramic scales. After the fire of 1917, the engineer and architect Alfredo Belluomini and the artist Galileo Chini were hired to rebuild it. They are responsible for the style of the building, the ceramic decorations, and stained glass.
At the other end of the promenade, the Grand Hotel Principe di Piemonte stands out. It is a five star hotel and among the most renowned in Versilia. Its curving lines are conforming to its architectural style. Built in the early 1920s, its original name was Select Palace Hotel, and was renamed with its current name in 1938.
The Grand Hotel Royal sits at the very center of the seafront and is one of the most renowned on the Tuscan coast. It was built in 1925 as a private residence and was repurposed as a hotel a few years later thanks to the skilled hand of Alfredo Belluomini. It was officially opened in 1926. It of course also features ceramics by Galileo Chini.
The beach club Bagno Balena is another building which benefited from the works of Belluomini and Chini. It is one of the most renowned landmarks in the city. The entrance of this establishment is a monumental oriental looking archway characterized by ceramic settings which look like marble at a first glance.
In this rich artistic setting whose architecture recalls to the mind the elegance of the Belle Époque, Broker Immobiliare Exclusive Real Estate lists elegant luxury villas for sale in Viareggio.
Villa Sorrento
This elegant villa for sale in Viareggio, Toscana, is a few steps from the renowned promenade and from the town’s pine grove, in an absolutely prime location, only 100 meters from the beaches of this famous tourist location in Versilia.
Villa Amnesia
The large spaces, the internal garden and the highly prestigious location facing the sea, directly on the famous promenade, make this elegant villa for sale in Viareggio a unique property, suitable for an exclusive clientele.
Villa Giulia
Classic Viareggio villa with courtyard, parking spaces, and large guesthouse for sale only 150 meters from the promenade in Viareggio, Lu, Versilia (Tuscany).
Villa dei Fiori
Large villa of 330 sq. m. for sale only 100 meters from the sea and Viareggio’s promenade. Outside, it has a garden, a courtyard, a parking space, and a view on the sea. Inside, it has a living room, a kitchen, a study, four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a spacious attic.
Villa Eulalia
Exclusive class A villa of 400 sq. m. for sale in Viareggio, Lu, Versilia (Tuscany), only 700 meters from the sea. It has a living room, a kitchen, five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a laundry room, terraces, a portico, a guesthouse, a garage, and a garden.
