The horizon inside

In a building from the 1700s, past, present and continuous change are embodied by art, design and color

In one of the historic quarters of Lanciano, province of Chieti, on Corso Roma – the main street – stands the Palazzetto, the family home of architect Lúcio Rosato. Built in the early 1700s, the house offers about 350 sqm of space on three levels, with a classic square layout around an internal courtyard. He has redesigned the building and created many of the works of art seen in its 14 rooms. «I have worked by subtraction, getting back to basics», Rosato says.

His use of color is striking: yellow in the kitchen, blue in the bedroom, red in the living area. And then there is white. «It is like silence, a place where anything can happen», he muses. The blue bedroom on the second floor is an exception to the rule of intimacy, opening onto a side street in a dwelling without striking outward perspectives. «Here I was guided by the ceiling fresco: the cobalt cloaks of the angels set the tone, and the form of the painting suggested the large oval headboard in cherry». There are other works of art. «My father was a collector, so there are paintings and sculptures which came here from his gallery in Pescara».

The décor features lamps by Castiglioni, works from the 1960s by Alfredo Del Greco, ceramics by Serafino Mattucci... «I often think that objects are obstacles, while what I call “things” are able to construct relationships». These “things” include his personal creations, like the panels titled Dai territori di Narciso, «cartoons that have traveled» on which the green acrylic paint seems to welcome a state of continuous change. «My house is always different, it changes day by day, influenced by light, moods and desires. It accompanies me and sustains me. Because, in the end, this is the job of the architect: to make life more authentic».