Thursday, April 14, 2016

Lo Scalone Juvarra

 Filippo Juvarra (March 7, 1678 – January 31, 1736) was an Italian architect and stage set designer, active in a late-Baroque style.
One of his masterworks in palace construction is the façade (1718–21) of the Palazzo Madama in central Turin. It recalls the formality of Andrea Palladio Palladio’s Palazzo Chiericati but with the enhancement of detail and windows. While the facade appears to house an airy piano nobile, it in fact is merely a scenic, almost theatrical gesture, sheltering a grandiose entry stairway entrance to a medieval castle. But this work was also part of an ambitious program to recast the crowded, medieval layout of central Turin into a more open and planned set of connected plazas.



The symbolic Juvarra stairs ( Scala Delle Forbici ) at palazzo Madama were once opened to public free entrance to get up to upper floor's hall, from there it provides a nice view of piazza Castello looking toward the busy via Garibaldi. Since the 31st of March 2016, it was decided only ticket holders are allowed to enter, the reason given was for security....Yet on every first Wednesday of the month, public is granted free entry and the security seems isn't an issue anymore.



3 comments:

Gunn said...

Great architecture and style. Looks like you are surrounded with history and beauty in your city.

William Kendall said...

Beautiful!

Linda said...

Wow! It does look theatrical.