What does the word ‘palazzo’ summon up in your imagination? Regardless of whether or not you’ve actually visited the great palaces of Florence, Rome and Venice, it probably evokes a magnificent house filled with exquisite artefacts and an ambience that is distinctly sophisticated and Italian.
The term palazzo refers to an Italian palace, specifically one built in a town or city, which may explain why so many of the specimens still preserved today are so dazzlingly beautiful - they were not intended to be private retreats but public buildings, designed to show off the wealth and taste of their owners. Whereas in Britain, all palaces had royal, or at least courtly, associations, Italian palazzos were just as often built by wealthy, middle-class families as they were by princes. These families, such as the Medici, rose to power and nobility originally through their commercial and political skills, and their need to demonstrate their pre-eminence to their peers and business rivals has led to the creation of some of the most exquisite interiors in existence.
But although we may relate palazzo splendours chiefly to the great mercantile and papal dynasties of the Renaissance, they are not specific to a particular era. Throughout the centuries, palazzos have been furnished and refurbished according to the fashions of the day, often resulting in many decorative layers overlapping in one building. However, although there may not really be any coherent school of ‘palazzo style’, the image that we associate with palazzos is one of opulence of a particularly Italian type, which can serve as inspiration for our own homes.
If, like the English gentleman who enjoyed the Grand Tour in the 18th century, you have visited Palazzo Pitti, Palazzo Quirinale - or any of the other great palaces of Italy - and come home fired up by their splendour, there’s no reason why you can’t allow their influence to infiltrate your own home. Although you might not be fortunate enough to own a grand palace, there are elements of palazzo style that can be incorporated into the most modest room. The secret is to pick up on one or two of the key features mentioned below, to add a little palazzo glamour to your home.
The elements of palazzo style c Walls
Although many palazzos that are open to the public today serve as art galleries, there is sometimes just as much interest to be found in the wall decorations as there is in the paintings hanging on them. Many palazzos contain richly-frescoed walls and ceilings which, although painted centuries ago, still glow with living colour. The wealthiest families became patrons of leading artists, commissioning men such as Cortona, Michelangelo and Raphael to decorate the walls of their palaces. Although you may not have the means to acquire a Raphael masterpiece, you can order a unique wall painting from one of the many muralists or decorative-effects specialists who still work to commission, just as the masters of a previous age did.
An alternative, also in the palazzo tradition, is to hang your walls with ornate coverings, made of either cloth or paper. Hand-woven silks and figured velvets may be beyond your reach, but a heavily-embossed wallpaper can create the same effect, especially if you choose one that is patterned with gold. Whatever treatment you decide upon for your walls, the aim is to make them as sumptuous as possible, so rich shades of red, royal blue and forest green are called for, along with plenty of gilding. Don’t worry if your room is much smaller than the state apartments you may have seen on your travels - luxurious wall treatments ringing with colour work just as well in a small setting, creating an intense, dramatic ambience that is reminiscent of the inside of a jewel box.
Floors
Often overlooked, flooring plays an essential part in creating atmosphere, and is a key element in creating an Italianate décor scheme. Some palazzo floors - notably ballrooms - are covered in wooden parquet, but most of them tend to be made from stone. Cotto or terracotta tiles were most often laid in early palazzos, providing solid, durable surfaces that are still walked over today. Sometimes, the terracotta tiles were glazed, often in brilliant shades of blue and turquoise. In the most opulent palaces, marble and mosaics were also used to create flooring that was at once striking and resilient.
There are several flooring companies based in Britain who import Italian terracotta tiles, which are made by the same process that was used to make the floors of great palaces several hundred years ago. You can choose from plain or coloured tiles, mixing them together to create your own design. There are also many small businesses that continue in the ancient art of mosaic-making and will be happy to design a whole floor, border, or a central motif for your room.
Lighting
The loveliest palazzo apartments seem to sparkle, so successfully do they blend highly-polished floors and luminescent walls with an artfully-designed lighting scheme. Although they have the benefit of high ceilings and long, lofty windows, these rooms cleverly extend the effect of natural light by using mirrors, gilded fixtures and, above all, ethereal chandeliers to create an almost magical shimmer. The largest state rooms can be hung with more than 20 separate light fittings - one of the distinct advantages of having a more modest room to furnish is that you have to only invest in one!
If you are aiming for a palazzo-inspired interior, a chandelier is a must. The finest examples become centrepieces, combining dazzling grandeur with delicate styling, and adding instant allure to any room. Although they are expensive, it’s worth investing in the most magnificent model you can afford to create an eye-catching focal point. But what if your ceiling is too low to contemplate anything more than a solitary light bulb? If you think a chandelier could become a dangerously low-dangling object, then the best tactic is to dispense with an overhead pendant light altogether and opt instead for wall sconces, which look just as splendid as a central ceiling fitting.
Sconces work particularly well if they are backed by mirrors, which bounce light back into the room and create a gloriously glittering effect. Italian glass has a reputation second to none, and many of the most magnificent residences across the world are adorned with Venetian mirrors. These are particularly fashionable at the moment, which means that antique pieces are increasingly hard to find - and increasingly expensive. However, the glass industry continues to thrive, and a healthy export market means that there are plenty of British suppliers selling authentic Italian mirrors and lighting.
Furniture
Furniture is the most variable aspect of palazzo style. Whereas heavily-frescoed walls and costly, patterned floors were often left intact by subsequent generations of owners, furniture could be removed and replaced at whim, depending on the fashion and fortunes of the day. However, one constant in the most luxurious state apartments is the inclusion of magnificent console tables, with carved and gilded legs and pietre dure tabletops. Pietre dure literally means ‘semi-precious stones’ and refers to the Italian art of creating a pattern made from inlaid pieces of rare and precious minerals, such as lapis lazuli, jasper and amethyst. In the most affluent homes, the technique was used to decorate all sorts of accessories, from collecting cabinets to chessboards. However, large console table tops were particularly prized, because their size and the beautiful designs which could be rendered on their large surface areas indicated both the wealth and taste of their owners.
The art of pietre dure still thrives in Italy today, produced mainly in small, specialised workshops, as it has been for generations. Although costly, it is an exquisite way to add an Italian element to your home, and an inlaid box, tray or tabletop makes a suitable centrepiece to a room inspired by the grace of palazzo life.
