Symmetrical Buildings
In the park, as shown by the old site plans, two symmetrical buildings were located on either side of the main access avenue, set at a slight angle to the principal axis. On one side stood the former two-storey building, now known as the “Rudere” (ruin), which once housed agricultural activities and the horse stables; on the other side was the “wooden barrack”, of which only the cobbled-and-brick pavement remains, still visible in the lawn in front of the Secret Garden.
On the right-hand side of the path stands the building that still survives, now referred to as the “ruin” because of its very poor structural condition.
Built in masonry but lacking roofs and floors, it recalls in its façade its twin building, now lost, yet it has a different internal layout. Making use of the natural slope of the land, it is arranged over two levels. The upper floor, divided into rooms similar to those of the symmetrical building, was probably intended for the private use of the owners; the lower level, partly underground and divided into three rooms, was instead devoted to the estate’s agricultural functions.
Both buildings originally had plastered façades decorated with painted motifs imitating military tents, in keeping with the fashion of the time, as documented by photographic evidence.
QR Code n. 02
The Ruin, Symmetrical buildings
Remains of the Wooden Hut
From the nineteenth-century survey by engineer Gui and from recent discoveries—such as the finding of the paved walkway during the latest restoration—we know that one of the two buildings, known as the “wooden barrack,” stood on the lawn to the left, towards the Secret Garden, and was intended for more private use. Unlike the surviving building, it had a timber load-bearing structure with infill walls of thin bricks, later plastered over. The interior was divided into small rooms and had two independent entrances opening directly onto the garden.
Here too, according to old photographs, the façades were painted with the same trompe-l’œil effect, transforming a simple rural structure into an elegant and imaginative field tent.
Between the late eighteenth and the early nineteenth century, a refined and theatrical fashion spread: the painting of façades of pavilions and garden buildings with striking optical illusions, imitating field tents complete with draperies, ropes, poles, and military friezes. This decorative choice was not accidental: it evoked the world of military campaigns, much admired at the time, and alluded to the charm of camp life—adventurous, noble, and steeped in romanticism.
This construction, intended “for private use,” was internally decorated with wallpapers depicting “Bambocciate,” described as “somewhat amusing and arranged in panels,” in order to make it more pleasant and suitable for entertainment.
The wooden structure collapsed in the 1930s; however, with the restoration of the Park, the perimeter pavement and the traces of the supporting elements of the wooden load-bearing structure have been reinstated.
QR Code n. 16
Remains of the Wooden Hut
Gallery
Symmetrical Buildings
