The stile Umbertino is the name commonly given to a 19th-century style of

Renaissance Revival architecture Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. It is a style which is typical of the eclecticism of late 19th century architecture and decorative arts in Europe. It is characterized by its eclecticism, because of the mix of decorative elements from the past. It flourished during the reign of king

Umberto I of Italy Umberto I ( it, Umberto Rainerio Carlo Emanuele Giovanni Maria Ferdinando Eugenio di Savoia; 14 March 1844 – 29 July 1900) was King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his assassination on 29 July 1900. Umberto's reign saw Italy attempt colo ...

, after whom it was named, and it was most popular in Rome.

The name

The stile Umbertino takes its name from king

Umberto I Umberto I ( it, Umberto Rainerio Carlo Emanuele Giovanni Maria Ferdinando Eugenio di Savoia; 14 March 1844 – 29 July 1900) was King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his assassination on 29 July 1900. Umberto's reign saw Italy attempt colo ...

, who reigned the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to an institutional referendum to abandon the monarchy and f ...

from 1878 until his assassination in 1900. The term is also not reserved exclusively for architecture, but can also describe furniture of the period and other decorative arts.

History

The stile Umbertino can be best described as the Italian declination of the

Eclecticism Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories i ...

, a style of architecture and decorative arts which swept across Europe in the second half of the 19th century, and that combines in one building features from different artistic periods and repertoires. While Italian buildings and other artistic expressions in this style follow in many ways the path followed elsewhere in Europe, it also differs insofar it strives to formulate a truly national Italian style. This happened largely in the decades immediately following the Italian unification, as one of the many attempts to build a national sense of unity. In view of this, the style came to be applied often on buildings housing governmental bodies, such as ministries and law courts, as well as on palaces and villas for the establishment, especially in Rome, which became in 1870 the new capital of the Kingdom. Here the city council and the government developed an ambitious and grand plan to redevelop the city and endow it with infrastructures fit for its status of capital. The stile Umbertino gained in popularity after 1870 and dwindled around 1895. However, it remained in use for governmental buildings well into the first and second decade of the 20th century.

Characteristics

Similarly to other declinations of the 19th century Eclecticism, the stile Umbertino draws inspiration from several periods of the history of art. It distinguishes itself for its particularly conservative interpretation of the Eclecticism, aiming to develop a truly national style. This latter came to be identified in an academic and conventional

Renaissance Revival Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range o ...

repertoire, with elements drawn as well from the Baroque period and the early Renaissance.

Notable examples

Due to the rapid growth of population in late 19th century Italy, as well as the need of the new national government to make its mark in the cities of the new kingdom, examples of stile Umbertino can be found in all of Italy's major cities. Rome, in particular, boasts several architectural ensembles built in this style, being particularly favoured for governmental infrastructures. Notable Umberto I style buildings: *

Piazza della Repubblica, Florence Piazza della Repubblica (, ''Republic Square'') is a city square A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not n ...

(1870) *

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II () is Italy's oldest active shopping gallery and a major landmark of Milan in Italy. Housed within a four-story double arcade in the centre of town, the ''Galleria'' is named after Victor Emmanuel II, the first ki ...

, Milan (1878) *

Palazzo delle Esposizioni The Palazzo delle Esposizioni is a neoclassical exhibition hall, cultural center and museum on Via Nazionale in Rome, Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Euro ...

, Rome (1883) *

Palace of Justice, Rome The Palace of Justice, Rome (Italian: ''Palazzo di Giustizia'', also colloquially named ''Il Palazzaccio''), the seat of the Supreme Court of Cassation and the Judicial Public Library, is located in the Prati district of Rome. It fronts onto the ' ...

(1885) * Palazzo Margherita, Rome (1886) *Porticoes of

Piazza della Repubblica, Rome Piazza della Repubblica is a circular piazza in Rome, at the summit of the Viminal Hill, next to the Termini station. On it is to be found Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri. It is served by the Repubblica – Teatro dell'Opera Metro ...

(1887) *

Palazzo Koch Palazzo Koch is a Renaissance Revival palace on Via Nazionale in Rome, Italy and the current head office of the nation's central bank, the Banca d'Italia. It is named after its designer, the architect Gaetano Koch, and was built from 1888 to 189 ...

, Rome (1888) *

Galleria Umberto I Galleria Umberto I is a public shopping gallery in Naples, southern Italy. It is located directly across from the San Carlo opera house. It was built between 1887–1890, and was the cornerstone in the decades-long rebuilding of Naples—called t ...

, Naples (1890) *

Palazzo del Viminale The Palazzo del Viminale is a historic palace in Rome (Italy), seat of the Prime Minister and of the Ministry of Interior since 1925; in 1961 the Prime Minister was transferred to Palazzo Chigi. History The palace was commissioned by Giovanni Gi ...

, Rome (1911)

Gallery

File:2926FirenzePzaRepubblica.JPG, Piazza della Repubblica, Florence (1865) File:Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.jpg, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan (1877) File:8315 - Milano - Ca de sass - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto - 14-Apr-2007.jpg, Ca de sass, Milan (1878) File:2013-04-11 Roma Palazzo delle Esposizioni.jpg, Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome (1883) File:Palazzo di Giustizia a Roma 102 2049.jpg, Palace of Justice, Rome (1885) File:Banca d'Italia - panoramio (2).jpg, Palazzo Koch, Rome (1888) File:1322RomaPzaRepubblica.jpg, Piazza della Repubblica, Rome (1888) File:Roma ambaixada EUA.jpg, Palazzo Margherita, Rome (1890) File:Galleriasciarra2.jpg, Galleria Sciarra, Rome (1890) File:Galería Humberto I (Galleria Umberto I).jpg, Galleria Umberto I, Naples (1890)

References

{{Revivals Architecture in Italy