Castelvecchio ("old castle") is a castle in Verona, northern Italy, built in 1354–1356 by Cangrande II Della Scala as a fortification against threats from outside the city and from insurgents within. Thus, the bridge from the city to the other side of the Adige River is only accessible from within the castle walls. In 1925 the building was converted from a military fortress, and now the Castelvecchio Museum (Museo di Castelvecchio) displays a collection of sculpture, statues and paintings in this medieval setting.

Restoration by the architect Carlo Scarpa between 1959 and 1973, has enhanced the appearance of the building and exhibits. Scarpa's unique architectural style is visible in the details for doorways, staircases, furnishings, and even fixtures designed to hold a specific pieces of artwork.

Official Website (http://www.comune.verona.it/Castelvecchio/cvsito/english/index1.htm)

Opening Hours
9am - 7pm Tuesday - Sunday (closed Mondays)
Ticket Office closes 6 p.m

How to get there
Verona is 1 hour away from Venice on the train and it's well worth a visit.
From Verona train station, it's a 20 minute walk (see map)
Buses 21, 22, 23, 24, 31, 32, 33, 41, 61, 62 (Corso Cavour) also takes you there.

Google Earth placemark

Translated to English, it means “The Garden of Lost Footsteps”, another architecture work by Peter Eisenman. Located on the garden of the Museo di Castelvecchio, on the lawn in front of the castle’s inner facade.

Eisenman’s installation attracts inspiration from, and reacts to, Scarpa’s design. He also quoted from many of his own past works. Typical of Eisenman’s work, Il Giardino dei Passi Perduti is laid out on a shifted grid and expands in many directions as well as reaching into the museum building. Since the 1970s and ‘80s, the museum site has encouraged a creative dialogue between works of contemporary art and the monument itself.

More about it HERE (http://architectook.net/il-giardino-dei-passi-perduti)

Garden of Lost Footsteps

The main entrance to the Museum. Here you can see the clear distinction of Scarpa's insertion in the existing building fabric.

more detail of the facade and a small taste of some of the exhibit display design

Once inside, you can see the character of the old castle remains. The red pieces of steel on the ground in the archway is the Garden of Lost Footsteps dialogue with Scarpa's interior.

another.

not far from the entrance, before we focus on Scarpa's interior, we are given a chance to go outside again to see the garden again.

garden detail

Now, focusing back to Carlo Scarpa's work.
This was his biggest commission and he designed absolutely every single piece of the exhibits display.

cruxifix back detail

crowd barrier detail

at the end of this entry building where it 'breaks', you bridge across and continue upstairs with the exhibition

stairs

Easel

Easel detail

it's a work of art, there are a few more photos of this

leg detail - note the adjustments

adjustments

ok, last of the easels, how it touches the floor

after getting very distracted by these beautifully designed and crafted easels, you will also notice the carefully composed layout of the exhibits

exhibit display

looping back to the 'break' where you bridge across the 2 buildings

To understand this break, you must see the exterior.
Notice how the building peels away and still gives a feeling of a ruin.
Scarpa's use of materials and language is unashamedly modern, yet it fits so well with such a historical building.

This inbetween space is perhaps the most interesting and the biggest amount of design energy is spent. On this concrete cantilever sits the symbol of the City of Verona, this statue of a horseman.

Staggered stairs that takes you up to the old fortification walls.

from the top, you can see the peeling back of the roof

There are also a lot of level changes to celebrate this space inbetween

the stairs we just came down from in the previous post

The bridge across - note the beautiful trusses holding up that roof

say hi to the statue

handrail detail

balustrade detail

balustrade and door detail

windows detail

let's go back inside, here is another gate detail

now we have a series of galleries off a corridor

flooring detail

crowd barrier detail - simple and elegant

wall and floor junction detail

another floor detail

End of the journey, where you head back downstairs

Through the screen, you can see the timber cladding for the administrative offices.

That's all folks!

...

That's all folks!

Thank YOU! :rock on:

Great stuff Kevin . :D

amazing documentation...I love how you do get easily distracted by the little details. It makes the experience much more rich.

the garden architecture must be newer, in 2004 June,when I was there, I remember it wasn`t there yet. good pics.Did you make a jouney?

the garden architecture must be newer, in 2004 June,when I was there, I remember it wasn`t there yet. good pics.Did you make a jouney?

I was there in 1986 and didnt recall the garden either... no wonder!

Great example of intervention vs restauration.
I remember a bank in Rome were he left the ruins below a glass floor..

the garden architecture must be newer, in 2004 June,when I was there, I remember it wasn`t there yet. good pics.Did you make a jouney?

these were taken early january 2005

yes i did go there... maybe you haven't been reading enough of my posts to know that i am a fanatic architectural traveller ;)

i am just trying to offload some of the many projects i went to on the last trip before i acquire a whole lot more this coming trip!!

I know that you are a great traveller and that`s good. Travelling gives lots of impressions and I think it`s one of the best way to learn architecture.:)

thanks kev , amazing post :)

Great pics, Kevin... did you also catch his 'Banca Populare di Verona' just around the corner?

Thanks Kevin. Great tour.

Good pictures. Nice post!

Great perspective on the 'collaberation' between Peters and Carlos's Work. Seeing them together like never before...it proves Eisenman is no Scarpa. Each detail of Scarpa's is a work of art where as Eisenmnans just seem like they are trying too hard.

Great Picture of my city. :)

This is my first post over here.

I liked this forum entry the most though, the way you said it was just amazing!
See you Later ;)

Cheers.
Michele Verona