The Casa Scaramangà represents one of the main historical and architectural testimonies of Habsburg Trieste, linked to the memory of the Scaramangà family, an ancient lineage of Greek-Byzantine origin settled in Italy for several centuries. The Triestine family nucleus took shape between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, becoming a point of reference for the economy and culture of the city.
The palazzo
The palazzo that houses the Casa Scaramangà, located in a privileged position on the Canal Grande with entrance on via Filzi, is a building in neoclassical style, renovated and raised in 1837 by the architect Antonio Buttazzoni, who added two floors and an attic to it. The Scaramangà family acquired the palazzo in that period and lived there constantly until the middle of the twentieth century.
A family between cultures
During the Habsburg period, the social and economic position of the Scaramangà family is emblematic of the vibrant multiculturalism of Trieste: citizens of Orthodox faith and of Greek-Byzantine origin, but perfectly integrated into the economic and social development of the city, which in those years was opening up to world trade and Central European influence.
Giovanni Scaramangà
The period from the last decades of the Habsburg Empire to the first post-war period coincides with the peak of the family's fortune: Giovanni Scaramangà (1872–1960), heir of the family, distinguished himself as an entrepreneur and public figure, entering the political and economic life of the city as early as 1905.
- In 1911 he became a member of some representative bodies, actively contributing to the cultural and social life of Trieste.
- His passion for local history led him to collect a vast collection of objects, books, prints, and paintings, which today constitute the nucleus of the museum.
From the post-war to the foundation
In the first post-war period, despite the radical political and social changes that affected Trieste after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Casa Scaramangà continued to be a space of culture and prestige. The baron Giovanni Scaramangà di Altomonte, without heirs, left upon his death in 1960 his apartment and his collections to a foundation today presided over by the Count Rossetti de Scander, who takes care of their valorization and conservation.
The museum today
Since 1962, the apartment has been transformed into a museum thanks to the foundation that bears his name. The museum exhibits the collected material on an annual rotation and preserves:
- Original furnishings
- Period furniture
- Precious paintings
- One of the richest collections of prints in the city (about 6,500 pieces)
Beyond conservation
The activities of the Fondazione Scaramangà are not limited to conservation and exhibition, but also include:
- Historical research
- Restoration
- Acquisition of new material
thus contributing to keeping alive the memory and legacy of this important family and of the city of Trieste.
Curiosity
The visit to the Casa Scaramangà, in addition to the period atmosphere and the richness of the collections, offers the opportunity to immerse oneself in a page of local history that well illustrates the intertwining of economy, culture, and architecture, from Habsburg Trieste to contemporaneity. The rigorous conservation policy means that photographs are prohibited inside the museum and that the visit is possible only by reservation or during specific opening days.