Recovery and Refunctionalization of a Historic Complex in Castellina Marittima

In Castellina Marittima, in the heart of Metalliferous Tuscany, in a land rich in alabaster, is the 19th-century residence of Villa di Valdiperga, built by a family from Livorno next to the existing farmhouses.

Like all typical 19th-century villas, the residence boasts a view of the sea, giving it a unique character, suspended between the vastness of the sea and the sinuous profile of the hills. The architectural layout combines 19th-century classicism, surrounded by maritime pines, with the anthropic geometry of the cultivated countryside, creating an extraordinary place for an artist's residence.

The historical structure of the building has not undergone alterations over time, maintaining its architectural stratification intact. From the first nineteenth-century nucleus, expansion interventions were carried out at the beginning of the twentieth century, which have been preserved. The recovery project is configured as a gesture of respect and redefinition of the aesthetic characteristics of the residence, especially for the external part, and as a contemporary reinterpretation of the internal spaces, through the insertion of new functional areas necessary for the new use. These new spaces, although having their own identity, dialogue harmoniously with the existing historical structure.

In this first phase, the project focused on the recovery of the villa and the annex adjacent to the church, with the construction of the new swimming pool. The annex was restored to obtain a pavilion to serve the swimming pool, while the latter was designed according to a simple geometric shape, with a material covering that contrasts the color of the water with the red of the rocks of the hill. The visual and functional axis of the swimming pool connects directly to the side nave of the church.

The intervention did not seek to forcefully overlap with the pre-existing structure, but to dialogue with it, amplifying its narrative.

The villa, the beating heart of the complex, is spread over two levels above ground, with a small central roof terrace that seems to scan the horizon. The central distribution corridor connects the rooms with a measured rhythm, while the large entrance, with its barrel vault, welcomes with the solemnity of a sacred space. Here, the restoration was carried out with the sensitivity of those who know that every stone tells the story of an era: the steps in pietra serena have been restored to their ancient splendor, as have the doors of historical value, which still bear the mark of the hands that have touched them over the centuries.

But the past is never immobile: the refunctionalization of the systems has made it possible to adapt the villa to contemporary needs without distorting its essence, finding a balance between efficiency and authenticity, between the needs of modern living and respect for history.