Maximilian Fabiani, commonly known as Max Fabiani (, ) (29 April 1865 – 12 August 1962) was an
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
architect, born in the village of
Kobdilj near
Ĺ tanjel on the
Karst Plateau
The Karst Plateau or the Karst region (, ), also locally called Karst, is a karst plateau region extending across the border of southwestern Slovenia and northeastern Italy.
It lies between the Vipava Valley, the low hills surrounding the val ...
, County of
Gorizia and Gradisca
The Princely County of Gorizia and Gradisca (; ; ), historically sometimes shortened to and spelled "Goritz", was a crown land of the Habsburg dynasty within the Austrian Littoral on the Adriatic Sea, in what is now a multilingual border area of ...
, in present-day
Slovenia
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
. Together with
Ciril Metod Koch and
Ivan Vancaš
Ivan () is a Slavic languages, Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek language, Greek name (English: John (given name), John) from Hebrew language, Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Sla ...
, he introduced the
Vienna Secession
The Vienna Secession (; also known as the Union of Austrian Artists or ) is an art movement, closely related to Art Nouveau, that was formed in 1897 by a group of Austrian painters, graphic artists, sculptors and architects, including Josef Ho ...
style of architecture (a type of
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...
) in
Slovenia
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
.
[Andrej Hrausky, Janez KoĹľelj: ''Maks Fabiani: Dunaj, Ljubljana, Trst.''](_blank)
Mladina, 12 August 2010
Life
Fabiani was born to Antonio Fabiani, a
Friuli
Friuli (; ; or ; ; ) is a historical region of northeast Italy. The region is marked by its separate regional and ethnic identity predominantly tied to the Friulians, who speak the Friulian language. It comprises the major part of the autono ...
an latifondist from
Paularo of
Bergamasque
The Bergamasque dialect is the western variant of the Eastern Lombard group of the Lombard language. It is mainly spoken in the province of Bergamo and in the area around Crema, in central Lombardy.
Bergamasque has official status in the p ...
ancestry, and Charlotte von Kofler, a
Triestine aristocrat of
Tyrolean origin. He grew up in a cosmopolitan trilingual environment: besides
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
, the language of his family, and
Slovene, the language of his social environment, he learned German at a very young age.
[Marco Pozzetto, ''Max Fabiani'', MGS PRESS S.a.s., Trieste (1998) p. 15.]
He came from a wealthy family that could afford to provide a good education for its 14 children. He attended elementary school in Kobdilj, and the German and Slovene-language ''
Realschule
Real school (, ) is a type of secondary school in Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia (''realna gimnazija''), the Austrian Empire, the German Empire, Denmark and Norway (''realskole''), Sweden (''realskola''), F ...
'' in
Ljubljana
{{Infobox settlement
, name = Ljubljana
, official_name =
, settlement_type = Capital city
, image_skyline = {{multiple image
, border = infobox
, perrow = 1/2/2/1
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, where he was the best student in the class after seven years.
He later moved to
Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
, where he attended architecture courses at the
Vienna University of Technology. After earning his degree in 1889, a scholarship enabled him to travel for three years (1892–1894) to
Asia Minor
Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...
and through most of Europe. He was married and had two children; his son Lorenzo Fabiani (1907–1973) was an agronomist and journalist and known anti-fascist.
In 1917, Fabiani was named professor at the
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna (, ) is a public university, public research university in Vienna, Austria. Founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365, it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and among the largest ...
, and in 1919 one of his pupils,
Ivan Vurnik, offered him a teaching position at the newly established
University of Ljubljana
The University of Ljubljana (, , ), abbreviated UL, is the oldest and largest university in Slovenia. It has approximately 38,000 enrolled students. The university has 23 faculties and three art academies with approximately 4,000 teaching and re ...
, Fabiani however refused the offer, quit the teaching position in Vienna, and decided to settle in Gorizia, which had been annexed to the
Kingdom of Italy
The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...
, thus becoming an Italian citizen.
On 15 May 1921—less than a year after the burning of the Slovenian
National Hall in Trieste by the Italian fascists, which he had designed—Fabiani became a member of the
Italian fascist movement. The reason why he joined the party and his political activity in the following years remain unclear and controversial. At the same time his son was jailed because of his anti-fascist activities.
In late 1935, Fabiani (at age 70) accepted the nomination for mayor (''podestĂ '') of his native village of Ĺ tanjel.
He remained mayor during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, using his knowledge of German language and his cultural acquaintances to convince the German troops to spare the village from destruction. Nevertheless, the monumental fortifications part of the village and castle, which he himself had renovated during the 1930s, were eventually destroyed in the fight between the
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...
and the Slovene partisans. His house with its rich archive in Kobdilj was also burnt down.
In 1944, Fabiani relocated back to Gorizia, where he lived until his death on 12 August 1962.
A widely circulated but false story regarding Fabiani is that the young Adolf Hitler once briefly worked in his architecture firm in Vienna.
The myth is not supported by any sources, and it appears to have been fabricated in 1966.
Work

Upon returning to Vienna, he joined the studio of the architect
Otto Wagner on Wagner's personal invitation, and stayed there until the end of the century. During this period he did not only concentrate his interests on design, but also cultivated his vocation as town planner and passionately devoted himself to teaching. How much he influenced Wagner's book about architecture is unknown.
Fabiani's first large-scale architectural project was the urban plan for the
Carniola
Carniola ( ; ; ; ) is a historical region that comprised parts of present-day Slovenia. Although as a whole it does not exist anymore, Slovenes living within the former borders of the region still tend to identify with its traditional parts Upp ...
n, now Slovenian capital
Ljubljana
{{Infobox settlement
, name = Ljubljana
, official_name =
, settlement_type = Capital city
, image_skyline = {{multiple image
, border = infobox
, perrow = 1/2/2/1
, total_widt ...
, which was badly damaged by the April
1895 Ljubljana earthquake
An earthquake struck Ljubljana, the capital and largest city of Carniola, a crown land of Austria-Hungary and the capital of modern-day Slovenia, on Easter Sunday, 14 April 1895. It was the most, and the last, destructive earthquake in ...
. Fabiani won a competition against the more historicist architect
Camillo Sitte, and was chosen by the Ljubljana Town Council as the main urban planner. One of the reasons for this choice was Fabiani was considered by the
Slovene Liberal Nationalists as a
Slovene. Second reason was that he knew Ljubljana better than Sitte and prepared really good and modern plan.
With the personal sponsorship of the Liberal nationalist mayor of Ljubljana
Ivan Hribar, Fabiani designed several important buildings in the town, including the L-shaped secondary school for girls in the
Mladika Complex facing Prešeren Street (), which is now the seat of the Slovenian Foreign Ministry.
His work in Ljubljana helped him to become well known in the
Slovene Lands, convincing Slovene liberal nationalists in the
Austrian Littoral
The Austrian Littoral (, , , , ) was a crown land (''Kronland'') of the Austrian Empire, established in 1849. It consisted of three regions: the Margraviate of Istria in the south, Gorizia and Gradisca in the north, and the Imperial Free City ...
to entrust him with the design for the National Halls in
Gorizia
Gorizia (; ; , ; ; ) is a town and (municipality) in northeastern Italy, in the autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It is located at the foot of the Julian Alps, bordering Slovenia. It is the capital of the Province of Gorizia, Region ...
(1903) and in
Trieste
Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...
(1904).
Fabiani also created the urban plan for
Bielsko in
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
. In 1902, these two urban plans won him the first honorary doctorate in the field of
urban planning
Urban planning (also called city planning in some contexts) is the process of developing and designing land use and the built environment, including air, water, and the infrastructure passing into and out of urban areas, such as transportatio ...
by the
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna (, ) is a public university, public research university in Vienna, Austria. Founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365, it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and among the largest ...
in
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
.
During the 1920s, he coordinated a large scale reconstruction of villages and some historical monuments in the areas in the
Julian March that had been devastated by the
Battles of the Isonzo
The Battles of the Isonzo (also known as the Isonzo Front by historians, or the SoÄŤa Front - ) were a series of twelve battles between the Austria-Hungary, Austro-Hungarian and Italian armies in World War I mostly on the territory of present-d ...
during
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.
Notable works
The most notable works designed by Fabiani include:
* Vila Schlegel, Opatija, Croatia
* Palace Portois & Fix (Vienna, 1898)
* Palace Artaria, Kohlmarkt (Vienna, 1900)
* Lyceum,
Mladika Palace (Ljubljana, 1907)
* Krisper House (
Ljubljana
{{Infobox settlement
, name = Ljubljana
, official_name =
, settlement_type = Capital city
, image_skyline = {{multiple image
, border = infobox
, perrow = 1/2/2/1
, total_widt ...
, 1901)
* Bamberg House (
Ljubljana
{{Infobox settlement
, name = Ljubljana
, official_name =
, settlement_type = Capital city
, image_skyline = {{multiple image
, border = infobox
, perrow = 1/2/2/1
, total_widt ...
, 1906)
* Palace
Urania
Urania ( ; ; modern Greek shortened name ''Ránia''; meaning "heavenly" or "of heaven") was, in Greek mythology, the muse of astronomy and astrology. Urania is the goddess of astronomy and stars, her attributes being the globe and compass.
T ...
(Vienna, 1902)
* Revenue Office building (Gorizia, 1903)
*
National Hall (Trieste, 1904)
*
Prešeren Square and the
Prešeren Monument (Ljubljana, unveiled in 1905)
* Stabile Palace (Trieste, 1906)
* the urban development plan for Ljubljana (1895)
* Villa Wechsler (Vienna, 1911)
* San Germano church (
Brijuni
The Brijuni () or the Brijuni Islands (also known as the Brionian Islands; ) are a group of fourteen small islands in the Croatian part of the northern Adriatic Sea, separated from the west coast of the Istria, Istrian peninsula by the narrow Fa ...
, Croatia, 1912)
* the plan for the reconstruction of Gorizia (1921)
* the general urban development plan for Venice (1952)
* Restoration of Gorizia duomo (Gorizia, 1919)
* The general urban development plan of
Monfalcone
Monfalcone (; Venetian language#Regional variants, Bisiacco: ; ; ; archaic ) is a town and (municipality) in the Province of Gorizia, Regional decentralization entity of Gorizia in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, northern Italy, located on the Gulf of Tr ...
, Italy (1919)
* Villa Bigot (Gorizia, 1921)
* Pellegrini's home in Gorizia (1922)
* Felberbaum's home in Gorizia (1925)
* San Giorgio church (
Lucinico Lucinico (, ) is a ''frazione'' in Gorizia, in Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
The ''frazione'' lies 4.88 kilometres from the town of Gorizia.
In literature
Lucinico is featured in the last chapter of Italo Svevo's novel ''Zeno's Conscience''. In May 1915 ...
, 1927)
* Ferrari garden (
Štanjel, 1930–40)
* Sacro Cuore metropolitan church (Gorizia, 1934)
* "Tower of memory", memorial to the Italian soldiers who died in World War I (Gorizia, 1937)
* Casa del Fascio (House of Fascism) (Ĺ tanjel, 1938)
Awards
*
Italian Order of Merit for Culture and Art - Rome, 10 September 1951.
Legacy
* In 1984, in Vienna
Simmering
Simmering is a food preparation technique by which foods are cooked in hot liquids kept just below the boiling point of water (lower than ) and above poaching temperature (higher than ). To create a steady simmer, a liquid is brought to a boil, ...
(11th District), Fabiani Street (German: ''FabianistraĂźe'') was named after him.
* Since 2008, the Slovenian highest award for best achievements in urban planning is named after him.
The Fabiani Award has been awarded for the third time
(In Slovene: "Tretja Fabianijeva nagrada je podeljena", Delo, 2010)
Gallery
Preysinggasse_10,_Max_Fabiani.jpg, Preysinggasse 10, Vienna (1897)
Bielsko-Biała_Ulica_Norberta_Barlickiego_009.JPG, Ulica Barlickiego 1, Poland (1899)
Ungargasse_Portois_und_Fix.jpg, Portois, Vienna (1900)
Gutenbergdenkmal_Lugeck.jpg, Gutenberg monument, Vienna (1900)
Piaristengasse_20,_Max_Fabiani.jpg, Piaristengasse 20, Vienna (1901)
Ljubljana_house_on_Miklosiceva_street_20.jpg, House Krisper, Ljubljana (1901)
Linzer_Str_371.jpg, Linzer StraĂźe 371, Vienna (1902)
Incendio_dell%27Hotel_Balkan.jpeg, Trieste National Hall (1905)
Brandstätte_8,_Wohn-_und_Geschäftshaus_Zum_Roten_Igel.jpg, Wildpretmarkt 1, Vienna (1906)
Miklošičev_park_(3).JPG, Miklošičev park, Ljubljana (1908)
Urania_Vienna_June_2006_295.jpg, Urania, Vienna (1910)
2013_Wien_0222_(8643928874).jpg, Lehargasse 9–11, Vienna (1913)
IKAl_100208_Weinzöttlbrücke.jpg, Bridge in Gratz (1917)
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fabiani, Max
Italian fascists
Slovenian architects
1865 births
1962 deaths
01
Historicist architects
Vienna Secession architects
Italian people of Austrian descent
Slovenian people of Austrian descent
People from Gorizia
People from the Municipality of Komen
20th-century Italian architects
20th-century Slovenian architects
Art Nouveau architects