Il Palazzetto

The longest journey is the journey inward. - Dag Hammarskjold

Il Palazetto has been an incredible place. It is a 17th century Italian farmhouse that was renovated by Carlos Scarpa and his son Tobia. Aldo and Lucia Businaro moved there and had three children, two of whom I have met-Ferdinando and Frederico. Aldo died in 2006 so unfortunately we did not get to meet him. Aldo was friends with Carlos Scarpa and was his mecenate, his patron, who would hire Scarpa to design and build projects as an excuse to give him some money. Scarpa, though he built quite a bit and was quite influential, was always poor because he never collected money. We learned that it was Aldo who traveled with Scarpa to Japan when he died, and so the whole family has this whole history with the architect and grew up with him.

As we walked through the gate I was struck by how modern the front of the house was. I noticed the black garage and the nice old cars. We briefly met Lucia, the mother, who welcomed us to her home. She reminded me of Aunt Pearl. She was this elegant older woman with very good English.

Shun gave us our assignment to go alone again and look for things that stood out to us: things that were familiar, things that made us feel uncomfortable. We were also supposed to pay special attention to the passage of time. The first concrete structure, the gateway, initially made me feel uncomfortable. It was too contrasting so I went around the other side of house to get to the backyard.

The backyard was incredible. There were trees everywhere and the edges were lined with bamboo. I was initially more comfortable back there. There was a structure built by Scarpa in the back that I passed over at first, it felt too foreign, too modern. But eventually I made my way to it. It was a barbecue built of concrete but it had no roof or ceiling of any sort. I looked up, saw the trees, and knew that the place was not so unnatural. It actually complemented the backyard. I sat on the ledge where food would eventually be served and felt as if years could go by and I wouldn’t notice.

We then met Ferdinando and Frederico who offered us lunch. We talked with them and they told us a bit about the house and Scarpa and their father. They were very friendly and very hospitable. We also heard the story about how exactly Scarpa died. It wasn’t pleasant, so I won’t retell it here. After gelato we went back to work and I went around the front to try and understand Scarpa and how he thought and worked and how it made me feel. Once I walked through the concrete gateway from the back I was fine with it, no more discomfort.

I loved the stairs, the gradual incline that didn’t feel high at all. I walked up and down those stairs, studying the levels, looking down and realizing how inclusive the levels felt despite their height and I was impressed. More importantly thought that day I got to know people better. I learned more about Lucia who showed me the inside of her home. All of the walls are covered with giant Frescos of roman scenes. It was incredible. At the end of the day, we all took a group picture, or five, and then went to go work on presentations that we would be giving the next day.

We worked at the Villa in the morning the next day from 9:30-2:30 and then left for Il Palazzetto. Before giving the presentations, or even re-studying the home, we went swimming in the pool in the backyard. It was a lot of fun. We sat by the pool in the sun chatting and eating cherries, and then when we were all satisfied, gave our presentations in one of the separate buildings on the property. It was amazing- another 17th century house with a completely modern interior including a projector. The presentations were all interesting, all personal, and I think the family really enjoyed them. I know they did. They were very sincere and very grateful, and as always, very hospitable. After the presentations, we went to the barbecue for dinner, and then the night truly got incredible.

All of the food was homemade and cooked in the oven using wood, which gave the meat a far better taste than charcoal or gas. We ate under the trees and the stars, about 15 of us, enjoying stories and absolutely incredible food for about 5 hours. The lasagna was the best dish by far. I have never had pasta like this before that was so soft that it almost melted in my mouth. And for dessert, we had tiramisu and strawberry gelato. It was unbelievable. I haven’t been so happy in a while. I was sitting by Lucia and we talked for much of the night. She told me more about her husband and her life and her home. She was an incredible woman and I really got to know her well, so at the end of the night, when she was retiring, it was Shun and I that walked her back to the house and wished her good night. After that, we went back to the table, and sat and talked a bit longer, getting some incredible stories out of Shun until about 12:30.

All in all, it was an unforgettable experience. And soon I will have to share my latest experience. Brion Cemetery, which is in intensely complex but incredible place.