Slightly uphill, at the end of one of the many alleys that intersect in the eclectic center of Trieste, lies Villa Solfina. Here you can breathe the Mitteleuropean air of the Friulian capital, which experienced its most flourishing period under the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The villa, built in 1860, was initially the private residence of a chocolatier, then passed to the hands of a shipowner, and finally became the lavish residence of the Swiss Consulate until 1977. Subsequently, it was purchased again and divided into several units. This marks the meticulous search of architect Mariano Zanon and his wife, Angela, an entrepreneur in the restaurant industry.
The restoration was long, meticulous and complex. The decorative elements from the Austro-Hungarian era required great attention, so they sought craftsmen with skills that are now rare – a mosaicist to restore the stunning mosaics that adorn walls and floors, a cabinetmaker, a plasterer and decorator, and a blacksmith for the ancient frames of the winter garden, which overlooks a small inner courtyard.
With minimal, unobtrusive furnishings, the painstaking work on the bones of this villa is truly allowed to shine.
Photography by Helenio Barbetta/LIVING INSIDE.
Styling by Deborah Piana Agostinetti.
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