Apartment//Holiday home Boc­ca­monte

There are those cases where someone doesn’t simply inherit some­thing – but rather takes on a legacy. That is exactly what Mad­dalena Scar­zella, a Milan-based architect, did: she decided to make some­thing of her grandmother’s legacy. No wonder, one might think – after all, her ancestor was the architect Luisa Cas­tig­lioni.
And yet this is not a foregone con­clusion; after all, Cas­tig­lioni is still largely unknown to posterity. And when she is known, it is mainly as the partner of the German Hans Deichmann, who came from a banking family in Cologne and resisted the Nazis during the Nazi era – in both Germany and Italy. After the war, Deichmann settled in Italy and lived with the architect Luisa Cas­tig­lioni from around 1960 until his death.

Pro­fes­sio­nally, Cas­tig­lioni appar­ently remained rather low-key, devoting herself mainly to building and extending a pro­perty for herself, her partner Hans, friends and family: in the 1960s, she designed a complex of several holiday cot­tages on a plot of land south of La Spezia, high above the Magra’s estuary. It became the hub of an extra­or­dinary intellectual network. In Bocca di Magra, figures such as Luigi Einaudi, Vittorio Sereni, Gian­carlo De Carlo and Gio­vanni Pintori would meet. The estate was less a private retreat than a cul­tural oasis – a place for con­ver­sation, work and exchange away from the public eye.

For Castiglioni’s grand­d­aughter, one thing was clear: a place like this is not merely a legacy, it is a respon­si­bility. So, tog­ether with her partner Matteo Petrucci, she decided to open Boc­ca­monte to guests – with the utmost respect for her grandmother’s archi­tec­tural vision. And with the courage to add a new chapter to it. As a result, the house is now far more than a place of remem­brance: Here, work is also being done on the future of Luisa Castiglioni’s object designs. Tog­ether, Mad­dalena Scar­zella and Matteo Petrucci are deve­loping re-edi­tions of her fur­niture – and trans­lating the architect’s legacy into the present day. This also plays a role within the house itself – here, Castiglioni’s ori­ginals are brought tog­ether with pieces that have been reissued; they are com­ple­mented by objects by other desi­gners. The result is a natural atmo­sphere that does not feel like a museum, yet does not strive for a con­tem­porary staging either.

The complex com­prises three separate houses and can accom­modate up to ten guests in self-con­tained units. One house sleeps two people, whilst the other two each have sleeping arran­ge­ments for two. Those who spend time here do not expe­rience a pre­served past. Boc­ca­monte allows visitors to expe­rience an archi­tec­tural legacy – and in a very lively way: because it was not pre­served to stand still, but to live on.

What to do

Boat trips and swimming in the bays around Punta Corvo and Tellaro, hiking in the Montemarcello-Magra Nature Park, kayaking and water sports along the coast, seafood restaurants and aperitifs right by the water, trips to Lerici, Portovenere or the Colli di Luni wine region, exploring small markets and Ligurian villages, and private boat trips and day tours along the Gulf of Poets.

Why we like this house

Because it is a real discovery: a little-known cornerstone of Italian architectural history that points far beyond the individual building. The house offers a glimpse into a dense tapestry of post-war modernism, private building culture and the intellectual biographies of Europe – and into an architectural scene that is virtually unknown in this country.

This house is great for

For travellers who don’t just want to look at architecture, but want to understand it. For anyone who appreciates quiet, meticulously designed spaces and fancies discovering a different side of Italy, away from the usual design hotspots.

Sustainability

The house embodies an approach to building that prioritises durability. Existing structures are maintained, reimagined and carefully adapted. Rather than seeking quick fixes, the concept is defined by the durability of materials, the ability to repair them, and a respectful approach to the site.

Details

Availability calendar

The calendar shows the current availability of the accommodation. On days with a white background, the accommodation is still fully available. If an accommodation has more than one rentable unit, days with free capacities are shown with a light grey background. On days with a dark grey background, the accommodation is not available.

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