Subtracting the ornament from the fairytale Gino Coppedè architecture. The case of the villa of the Fairies in Rome

The contribution mentions the well-known fairytale neighborhood in Rome, which was designed by architect Gino Coppedè and the works began in 1918. The district consists of palaces and villas, which are characterized by a decorative baroque with monstrous and unreal figures, unmistakable emblem of "Coppedè" style. This style has no precursors nor followers and it denotes a linguistic formula personal and easily recognizable. The buildings are carriers of forms and expressions without boundaries, so as to be called "fantastic and fabulous architecture". The goal is to check if the fabulous and fantastic character of the architecture is due to the form as an extension of the content or, conversely, this appearance is due to the overpowering decorative apparatus which wraps facades and goes up to their immediate surroundings. The target of this study is to carry out, with the help of new technologies and in particular through three-dimensional simulations, a methodological process of "stripping" or "subtraction" of typological categories of decorative elements which are present in these buildings (stone ornaments, masks, wall frescoes, niches, columns, wind vane, gates, torch holders, etc.). The three-dimensional elaborations produced were also drawn with the photo modelling technique with which we are able to realize pseudo three-dimensional models directly from the measured data, which are accompanied by real textures acquired directly from the photographs.