Tag: Rococo Style

Of the many periods denoting historical aesthetic shifts, Rococo style is one of the most ornate eras in design history.

Tucked within the Riserva Palace on the Strada Melloni in Parma, Italy, is a flash of Rococo style that looks back to the House of Bourbon. The French kings had used the palace as a place to host events when visiting Italy, as well as a casino for nobles and courtiers during their heyday. Who would end up in this notable building? Emperor Napoleon’s second wife Marie-Louise of Austria and their son! They took over the royal residence when the Emperor abdicated the throne, their arrival in March of 1816 ushering in a time when the Rococo flair was inhabited by French royalty full-time for a while.

I was shocked to find this nod to France within this city when I visited the Glauco Lombardi Museum, the name referencing the visionary who was determined to celebrate the Empress’ presence in town. Though she and Napoleon had moved away from the previous monarchs’ likings to their own Empire Style, Marie-Louise would likely have felt at home there having lived in French palaces with her doomed husband. The room’s original plasterwork, designed by French architect Ennemond-Alexandre Petitot and painstakingly realized by Benigno Bossi—a renowned Italian engraver, painter, and plaster and stucco artist—dates back to 1764. I have a surprising sighting of a royal courtier while strolling through the museum so if you love French history, you might want to stop by and see who lurks within the gracious room!