In questa pagina, da sinistra: Adolf Hohenstein, 1902, manifesto per Calderoni Gioielliere, Civica Raccolta Bertarelli, Castello Sforzesco, Milano; Marcello Dudovich, 1904, manifesto per Bitter Campari, Civica Raccolta Bertarelli, Castello Sforzesco, Milano.
As Art Nouveau -or Liberty
as it is known in Italy- is the image of the new mercantile bourgeoisie that emerged at the end of the 19th century, it was obvious that, as far as architecture was concerned, it encouraged the construction of modern residential quarters that were peripheral with respect to the historical centre but conceived in such a way as to allow fast connections with the city centre. This premise applies not only to Milan or, more in general, to Italy, but what
22
Nella pagina a fronte, dall’alto e da sinistra: manifesto padiglione Fratelli Branca, 1906, Esposizione Internazionale di Milano, Civica Raccolta Bertarelli, Castello Sforzesco, Milano; Leopoldo Metlicovitz, 1906, Esposizione Internazionale in occasione dell’inaugurazione del Sempione, Civica Raccolta Bertarelli, Castello Sforzesco, Milano; Adolf Hohenstein, 1894, manifesto per la Cloisonné Artistic Glass, Civica Raccolta Bertarelli, Castello Sforzesco, Milano.
can be said is that the location of the city -it’s large spaces and its environmental featureshas allowed for the construction of brand new modern quarters and for the application of new urban layouts in various areas of the city. These characteristics as well as the enthusiasm of the clients for the “flower style” stimulated the rapid construction of a series of buildings that accommodated a lively variety of solutions that, nevertheless, shared a common taste. The Art Nouveau
quarters of Milan were built between 1903 and 1911. Two stand above all others, the one enclosed by Corso Venezia and Corso Monforte and the one near Stazione Nord, alongside Parco Sempione. The symbol of the first quarter is Palazzo Castiglioni, the only building that is located on Corso Venezia. Apart from this edifice, other constructions by architect Giuseppe Sommaruga include, besides a number of houses, Villa Faccanoni at the Fair. Successively transformed into