Italy, as we know, is a land of saints, poets and navigators, but also of wonders that leave you breathless. Works of art signed by Mother Nature, artistic and architectural masterpieces created by man and then sculptures, museums, squares and Renaissance monuments. And if on the one hand we know well everything that characterizes our country in a unique and recognizable way, on the other hand there are things that seem alien to our culture and national identity.
A sensation that we experienced firsthand every time we traveled to those places in the Bel Paese that immediately catapulted us to other realities and dimensions. And there are architectural works, majestic and beautiful, that fulfill the same task because They are inspired by distant cultures.
This is the case of Moorish style, the art developed in the late 11th and late 15th centuries in the western Mediterranean area, especially in Spain and the Maghreb, which explodes in all its beauty in some of the treasures that populate our country and that allow us to live an oriental dream that has never been forgotten.
Rome: the Italian Alhambra
When we talk about eastern dream, it is impossible not to think of the Alhambra in Granada, a true artistic masterpiece that enchants the eye and warms the heart. However, Italy also has its Alhambra, an Arab greenhouse hidden in one of the most evocative parks of the eternal city.
We're located in Villa Torlonia, a favorite destination for Roman citizens and tourists. Commissioned by Prince Alessandro Torlonia in the first half of the 19th century, this Serra Moresca is a true marvel. With a lush exotic garden, an artificial cave and polychrome stained glass windows shining in the sun, this architectural jewel brought to light after its restoration, is an authentic oriental pearl to be discovered.
Sammezzano Castle: the Italian oriental jewel
Much more than a castle, Sammezzano is the greatest oriental dream ever realized in our country. Located in the municipality of Reggello, in the province of Florence, this masterpiece of carvings, precious decorations and luxurious details is one of the most beautiful and extraordinary places in the country.
If the exterior architecture enchants, the interior does not. takes your breath away: a kaleidoscope of colors and details inspired by the Moorish style intoxicate and stun the senses. He Sammezzano Castle is a dream. with the eyes open.
Rocchetta Mattei, a fantasy palace
We move now among the hills that surround Bologna because it is here, on a hill in the municipality of Grizzana Morandi, that there is an enchanted and fantastic palace that seems straight out of a fairy tale book. Rocchetta Mattei It is not strictly an Arab building, although its creator was inspired by it.
House of Count Cesare MatteiRocchetta Mattei, man of letters, politician and self-taught doctor, founder of electrohomeopathy, owes the timeless beauty that characterizes it to its creator. The complex and elaborate building combines Moorish style with medieval Central European architecture and Italian Gothic. The result is a fantasy building with an extraordinary atmosphere, unique in Italy and in the world.
Palacio Mazzone in Catania
We now move to Catania, to one of the most populated streets in the city. Via UmbertoIn fact, there stands a palace that rises towards the sky, it is about Palacio Mazzone, an extraordinary example of Arab architecture. Built in 1900 by the architect Tommaso Malerba, the building retains all the oriental charm mixed with the Art Nouveau style that characterized the Catania scene during the construction of the palace.
