Houzz Tour: Medieval Meets Modern in Italy
Modern design perfectly complements a medieval structure in this one-of-a-kind watchtower retreat in Umbria
On a hill not far from the town of Todi in Umbria, Italy, stands the Torre Almonte, a lookout tower that dates to the 12th century. It’s surrounded by a private park and an olive grove with more than 180 trees. The 82-foot-high structure was enlarged in the late 14th century to be used as housing; today it serves as lodging for tourists. It’s owned by Enrico Menestò, a medievalist, and his wife, architect Raffaella Maria Gabetta, who oversaw the renovation. Gabetta selected decor that would give the place a more contemporary style, blending the historic with the modern. Within the medieval structure, antique furniture combines with modern design icons and pieces by local artisans.
The tower has five floors, which can be accessed by an elevator added in 2003. On the ground floor is a large living room, a kitchen and a reading room. The second floor houses Menestò’s private library, which is open only to academic researchers.
The partitioning of the other floors done in the 18th and 19th centuries was retained. There are suites on the third floor, and the fourth and fifth have apartments, each of which includes two double rooms, two bathrooms, a living room and a kitchen.
Pictured here is the ground-floor living room with its vaulted ceiling. The table in the middle of the room was made by a local craftsman out of an oak beam from the tower itself. Leather chairs by midcentury modern designer Marcel Breuer complement the decor.
Here, as in most of the rooms, beige and brown tones dominate. The only touch of color comes from the artwork on the wall.
The partitioning of the other floors done in the 18th and 19th centuries was retained. There are suites on the third floor, and the fourth and fifth have apartments, each of which includes two double rooms, two bathrooms, a living room and a kitchen.
Pictured here is the ground-floor living room with its vaulted ceiling. The table in the middle of the room was made by a local craftsman out of an oak beam from the tower itself. Leather chairs by midcentury modern designer Marcel Breuer complement the decor.
Here, as in most of the rooms, beige and brown tones dominate. The only touch of color comes from the artwork on the wall.
This is one of the third-floor suites, measuring about 970 square feet. The king-size bed is the only piece of antique furniture in the so-called White Suite — the other design elements add a touch of modernity. “I love Nordic and Danish design,” Gabetta says. “I chose chandeliers by Slamp and chairs by Kartell.”
The flooring throughout the tower is terra-cotta tile, except on the second floor, where white travertine was used instead. “I restored or significantly changed the flooring only when I found serious damage,” Gabetta says.
Wood beams and terra-cotta tiles give character to this room’s ceiling.
Chandelier: Ginetta, by Nigel Coates for Slamp; chairs: Victoria Ghost, by Philippe Starck for Kartell
The flooring throughout the tower is terra-cotta tile, except on the second floor, where white travertine was used instead. “I restored or significantly changed the flooring only when I found serious damage,” Gabetta says.
Wood beams and terra-cotta tiles give character to this room’s ceiling.
Chandelier: Ginetta, by Nigel Coates for Slamp; chairs: Victoria Ghost, by Philippe Starck for Kartell
A detail of the hallway outside the White Suite.
Chairs: by Ron Arad for Moroso; painting: Erik Larson
Chairs: by Ron Arad for Moroso; painting: Erik Larson
The other suite on the third floor is the Red Suite, named after the artwork on the wall, Signora Rossa (Red Lady), by Alessandra Pierelli. “The velvet dress expresses sumptuousness and gives the ancient interior an elegant touch,” Gabetta says. “Additionally, an old iron bed found in a local market has been modified to become a sofa.”
This is the 540-square-foot living room on the fourth floor. “The old dresser is a family heirloom, while the sandstone chimney dates back to the 12th century,” Gabetta says. “The Wassily chairs by Marcel Breuer are a tribute to the Bauhaus period.”
Every door in the tower is original, Gabetta says. “They belong to different periods spanning from the 16th to the 19th centuries. For this reason, they are made of varying shades of wood.”
One of the most challenging aspects of the renovation was the lighting: “The beams get in the way, so the lighting was by no means easy,” Gabetta says. “To provide harmonious light, I used steel cables to secure LED fixtures. In some areas, I chose floor lamps for a decorative feel.”
Every door in the tower is original, Gabetta says. “They belong to different periods spanning from the 16th to the 19th centuries. For this reason, they are made of varying shades of wood.”
One of the most challenging aspects of the renovation was the lighting: “The beams get in the way, so the lighting was by no means easy,” Gabetta says. “To provide harmonious light, I used steel cables to secure LED fixtures. In some areas, I chose floor lamps for a decorative feel.”
This is the kitchen on the fourth floor. The anthracite-gray island helps make it a comfy and modern space. The pendant lamp was bought at a local market.
Chairs: Louis Ghost, by Philippe Starck for Kartell
Chairs: Louis Ghost, by Philippe Starck for Kartell
The living room on the fifth floor also features an old sandstone fireplace, and the decor is a tribute to Le Corbusier.
The lighting for this room consists of built-in fixtures, made possible because the ceiling needed to be renovated anyway, as the original stone structure wasn’t stable. Gabetta reinforced it by first creating a metal skeleton, then injecting resin in cracked areas and between the stones and finally securing them with wire mesh.
“The spaces are fluid and livable, and even though they are huge, you have the feeling that everything is within arm’s reach,” says photographer Francesca Pagliai, who took the photos for this article. “Family heirlooms on the one hand and designer furniture on the other make this house warm and comfortable. The tower, isolated in the countryside and exposed to light on each side, is very bright, adding the element of spectacular light in each room.”
Black couch: LC2, by Le Corbusier, produced by Cassina
The lighting for this room consists of built-in fixtures, made possible because the ceiling needed to be renovated anyway, as the original stone structure wasn’t stable. Gabetta reinforced it by first creating a metal skeleton, then injecting resin in cracked areas and between the stones and finally securing them with wire mesh.
“The spaces are fluid and livable, and even though they are huge, you have the feeling that everything is within arm’s reach,” says photographer Francesca Pagliai, who took the photos for this article. “Family heirlooms on the one hand and designer furniture on the other make this house warm and comfortable. The tower, isolated in the countryside and exposed to light on each side, is very bright, adding the element of spectacular light in each room.”
Black couch: LC2, by Le Corbusier, produced by Cassina
Perhaps one of the most interesting details of the project is the 10-by-49-foot swimming pool. It’s in the orchard that surrounds the tower. The wooden pool deck echoes the hues of the landscape.
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Houzz at a Glance
Location: Todi, Umbria, Italy
Size: The tower sits on 5 acres (2 hectares) of land. The structure has an area of about 7,500 square feet (about 697 square meters) spread over five floors, each measuring 1,400 square feet (130.1 square meters)
Architect: Raffaella Maria Gabetta
That’s interesting: Rooms, suites or the entire tower can be booked here.
The building was listed as a historic property in 1954, so the structure wasn’t altered in the renovation. “I renovated the tower without adding any new elements to the original structure,” Gabetta says. “I didn’t create a historical fake. I just modified that which had been ruined by the flow of time.”