Palazzo Marcosanti poi Ripa

Palazzo Marcosanti poi Ripa presents a studied, almost defensive front to Piazza Garibaldi. Its polygonal plan is the key: two wings, one north, one south, set back some three metres from the central block, the owners’ residence. This articulation gives the façade a sculptural rhythm, a sense of mass pushing forward and then receding.

The building’s materials tell its story. Up to the first floor, the masonry is a pragmatic mix of brick and varied stone rubble; above, it is all brick, a common practice for lighter, higher walls. A smooth plaster finish survives on the main front. The ground floor is given over to storage, with six barred windows, while the principal entrance is a round-arched portal with a stone threshold and terracotta frame. String courses in terracotta run across the façade, tying the composition together. The first-floor windows, seven in line, sit above stone sills with projecting terracotta cornices and lintels. The mezzanine windows are smaller but echo the same forms.

The north wing repeats these motifs; its three ground-floor arches lead to storage and dwellings. The south wing, more modest, completes the ensemble.

Description via source. Coordinates and heritage data from the Atika atlas.