Rome's enchanting Quartiere Coppede.
Most people who come to Rome for its fantastic architecture enjoy its Classical, Renaissance, and Baroque masterpieces.But there's a magical, architectural wonderland in Rome that most visitors know nothing about. It's a little off the beaten path -- a short stroll from the Villa Borghese -- near the Piazza Buenos Aires. Called the Quartiere Coppede, it was built between 1919 and 1926 by Florentine architect Gino Coppede in the Italian Art Nouveau or Liberty style.
But Coppede used elements from virtually every architectural movement you can think of: turrets, winding staircases, mosaic tiles, intricate brickwork, frescoes, oil lamps, pudgy putti, and elaborate ironwork.
All the structures in the quarter -- there are more than a dozen -- were designed by Coppede and his atelier, who also created most of the ornamentation that adorns them. You enter off Via Dora through a giant, medieval-looking arch that connects two apartment buildings covered with relief. Bees, lions, and mythological figures stare down at you as you walk beneath a giant chandelier into another world.
The center of the quarter is the eccentric Piazza Mincio, anchored by the Fountain of the Frogs. With its Gothic, Florentine, and Venetian elements, and exotic garden, the Fairy Cottages are charming. And the imposing Palazzo of the Spider combines several architectural styles, including Art Deco, in five stories.
If you're a fan of Gaudi, don't miss the Quartiere Coppede the next time you're in Rome.
