Scarpa initially studied painting before transferring to architecture at the Venice Academy of Fine Arts. But he refused to take the Government exam and as a consequence he never became a licensed architect. Nevertheless his achievements and commissions were considerable and this angered the body of licensed architects and he was indicted for practising architecture. The hearing was in a courtroom that Scarpa had designed. The judge dismissed the case. Scarpa's lawyer was Luigi Scatturin. As a token of gratitude Scarpa spent three years in the early 1960's transforming the Scatturin apartment on the top floor of a 17thcentury Venice palazzo into a home and office for family Scatturin.

Kitchen toward the entrance with characteristic black padded leather door.

Appreciating the lawyers life work relationship Scarpa created three interconnecting areas, office in the front, social in the centre and private space at the rear. The apartment is a joy that incorporates all the respected Scarpa attributes. Sensual finishes, marble smooth stucco veneziano in coral red and glassy black that would have taken days to perfect even within a small area.

Coarse textured ceiling and moated skirting

There are narrow channels skirting the walls of the social space and coarse-textured concrete ceilings, and concealed behind what appears to be a wardrobe is a flight of zig-zagging steps to a roof terrace with views across domes and spires toward San Marco.

Zig zag stir to the roof terrace - Maria advises it's easier to climb starting with the right foot.

The outstanding piece of furniture Scarpa designed for Scatturin was his office desk, it is a mix of Italian and Brazilian walnut that appears to float, but its remarkable attribute is it is constructed without a single nail.

Luigi Scatturin's desk and office

The apartment remained in the Scatturin family until 2015 and finding a buyer was protracted. In 1999, ten years before his death, Luigi Scatturin registered the apartment as a heritage work - from then the same conservation safeguards as the Basilica of San Marco applied. Any owner would only be 'borrowing' the space for posterity and nothing could be changed without permission.

While on the open market the apartment hosted a satellite pre Biennale exhibition, one of the visitors was Maria Cagnoli. Already an admirer of Scarpa she was captivated. Her passion and determination have made her the ideal owner and custodian. The apartment has been meticulously restored and yet within the legal constraints she has added to its character. In 2018 she invited artist Maria Morganti to respond to the apartment. The visible response was utilising a long vertical crack in the plaster.

Maria Morganti was inspired by the colour palette of the painter Tancredi Parmeggiani, a protege of Peggy Guggenheim, Scatturin's brother in law, and for several periods, a resident in the house, Maria chose to "breath" Tancredi's colours and transpose them into the cracking wall, transforming and repairing the crack with multicoloured plasticine, a visual gesture that, 'heals the wound'

Casa Scatturin is a private home and Richard and I are appreciate the warm welcome given to us by Maria Cagnoli.

NB: This is a private house and further use of the images and text is conditional upon permission from Maria Cagnoli and Richard & Lynne Bryant all images ©Richard Bryant . richardbryantphoto.com