From the Italian Vernacular Villa to Schinkel to the Modern House

Karl Friederich Schinkel (1789-1841), one of the greatest architects of all time, visited Syracuse during his first visit to Italy in 1804. Here he came upon the site, only recently identified, that inspired the Landhaus bei Syracus project, or, in other words, the country house near Syracuse. This project was, in many ways, innovative and opened new outlooks regarding research that reflected on many of his works.
The fact that he paid so much attention to spontaneous southern architecture places Schinkel amongst those who considered vernacular Italian architecture as a font of inspiration and as a reflection on the fundamental principles of planning. This theme continued to be particularly relevant up until the Modern Movement and some of its developments can still be investigated into. The contribution of scholars from various nations, who gathered in Syracuse for an International Day of Study on this theme, offered new research outlooks that illustrate how the theme of the vernacular Italian house is at the base of a fundamental reference model for modern architecture.