PLACE TO VISIT
The “Città dell’Armonia”
The Città dell'Armonia
At the beginning of the Thirties a new project was born in Valdagno, bound to last long and to become a model for other industrial towns: on the left bank of Agno, on the lands previously devoted to agriculture, a new neighbourhood was founded out of the blue, one which did not include just the houses for the workers of Marzotto but which pointed at being the ideal environment to live in with its houses but also buildings with a social function: surgeries, a maternity ward, a rest home, a kindergarten(Health Care); schools, a Music School, a theatre(Culture and Education); a stadium, a renown swimming-pool, gyms, a workers’club (Sport and Leisure time).
That is “Città dell’Armonia”or “Città Sociale”sprung up from Gaetano Marzotto’s mind and financed by himself and actually set up by a young engineer, Francesco Bonfanti, who realized this extremely innovative work by interpreting the valdagnese manager’s wishes.
“Città dell’Armonia”was founded after a long and hard planning: not just single interventions but rather a whole town by itself which sided the historic centre and gave Valdagno a new look and a new image.
Modern techniques and materials were used, new designs side by side with liberty decorations, functional elements which are at the same time decorations, strongly connected to the surrounding landscape, architectural solutions together classic and rational: the “Città Sociale”is this, a product of the passion and skill of two outstanding men,planned in the respect of the natural of environment,the modernity of the facilities and the industrial efficiency.
The ideal city that Gaetano Marzotto had on his mind and realized by Bonfanti, corresponds to a wide unitary architectural plan which granted its citizens and workers to have a wealthy and comfortable life while keeping a practical and elegant dimension,hence its definition of “Città dell’Armonia” that still represents a model of harmony.
