November 4, 2021
The Scaliger family tree is an integral part of the history of Verona. The family's legacy can be seen in every corner of the city. Lords of the city from 1260 to 1387 and lovers of the arts and letters, their ruling period oversaw the largest artistic expansion of Verona thanks to the support and funding they gave to artists, writers and philosophers of the time. They include Dante Alighieri and Petrarca. One particularly prominent figure was Cangrande della Scala (friend and protector of the Divine Comedy author) whose taste and sensitivity bolstered the palazzo's cultural splendour.
The romance of Verona runs through every room
The Scaliger's influence is perhaps most evident at Arche Scaligere (or the Scaliger Tombs), an open-air Gothic museum attached to the Church of Santa María, where the seven main lords of the family are buried. The family also owned this medieval palazzo, now converted into a luxury 32-room holiday accommodation complex (Lords of Verona).
Located in the Piazza dei Signozi - a square packed with monumental buildings - and just a few metres from Juliet's House, Torre dei Lamberti tower and Porta Borsari gate, the original structure of the building has been preserved, with its reddish façade and arched windows typical of the fourteenth century.
The dialogue between the arts of the past and present is the work of designer Simone Micheli, who opted for collections by PORCELANOSA to give shape to this architectural reinterpretation, with an over-arching concept of sensory design. He achieves it through clean forms, neutral colours and Nordic furniture, used to breathe life into each space. These three elements work together to define the bedrooms and suites. White is used to extend the limits of each area, connecting life inside the hotel with the breezy, romantic pace that pervades every corner of Verona - the medieval Shakespearean city where Romeo and Juliet's tragic love story unfurled.
Simone Micheli's design, full of vitality
The harmonious white that makes the most of the natural light outside and simplistic beauty of the décor is embodied by the Lounge collection, designed by Simone Micheli for Noken and used for the hotel's toilets and bidets. Sinuous forms inspired by water and cutting-edge finishes: every piece in the range promotes sustainability from a perspective of minimalist design. They're complemented by the Forma collection, also from the brand. "I've created an innovative space dedicated to customer wellness, blending natural and artificial lighting and furniture tailored to the needs of contemporary users", explains Micheli.
The Krion® K-Life 1100 mineral compact by Krion® (PORCELANOSA Group) creates a similar 'all white' design, used for the kitchen worktops, bathrooms and bedroom desks.
The monochrome of the solid surface unifies the various zones of the rooms under the same aesthetic. It also makes for safer spaces, thanks to its practically zero porosity, bacteriostatic properties and excellent resistance against impacts and temperature changes. "The past and future come together, creating spaces that exist outside the space-time continuum, with a gentle, evanescent atmosphere. This is a place where distinctions and absolute concepts completely lose their meaning", says Micheli.
See it in Projects Porcelanosa.
Architecture: Simone Micheli
Photo: Jürgen Eheim
Trendbook file
