The term sgraffito, from the word graffiare — meaning “to scratch” — refers to a type of ornamental plasterwork achieved by applying layers of tinted cement over a contrasting color. Before the stucco-like material sets, an artist uses a pointed element to carve detailed outlines, geometric designs, frieze motifs and other embellishments into a building façade, lending it depth and texture, while creating a strong contrast between light and dark (commonly referred to as chiaroscuro).
Master painter, architect and art historian Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) is believed to have been the first to give a detailed description of the abrasive technique in his seminal book, Le vite de' più eccellenti pittori, scultori e architettori (The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects).
But as we know from cave etchings, even the earliest civilizations were into scoring their walls with pictorial art. The method was later used to serrate figures into pottery produced in ancient Rome, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey and parts of the central Islamic lands. The use of sgraffito can also be seen on objects made of stained glass, enamel, stone and wood.
Fast forward several millennia to the 15th and 16th centuries, when the method began appearing on the exteriors of grand palazzi in cities like Florence, Rome and Pisa. The technique soon took off, not only due to its pleasing aesthetics, but also because compared to classic fresco techniques, sgraffito allowed for quicker execution and better durability over time. The layers of plaster served as a protective coating that inhibited deterioration of buildings from corrosive agents in the atmosphere.
The technique eventually declined in popularity around the 20th century, leaving many sgraffito-laden buildings abandoned and crumbling. Fortunately, there are still shining examples of sgraffito to be found throughout Italy. Here are a few of our favorites.
In Florence
Designed by architect Giuseppe Boccini and completed in 1892, Palazzo degli Angeli (Palace of the Angels) is a relatively modern building with an elaborate sgraffito façade that nods to the city’s longstanding Renaissance and Mannerist traditions. In 2019, architect and interior designer Alex Meitlis reimagined the palazzo, overhauling its interior (and the adjacent Gothic Revival property) into the Hotel Calimala. Thankfully, the 19th-century decorative exterior was preserved. / Where to find it: At the corner of Via Calimala and Via de’ Lamberti
Another Florentine sgraffito gem is the Palazzo Bianca Cappello. Located in the Oltrarno district, the monumental structure features a façade decorated with grotesque motifs by master sgraffito artist Bernardino Poccetti (1548-1612). The palace, commissioned by Francesco I de’ Medici on the site of an older 15th-century building, was meant as a love nest for the married Medici and his also-married lover, Bianca Cappello. / Where to find it: Via Maggio 26
In Pisa
In the autumn of 1564, sgraffito work began on the façade of the Palazzo della Carovana in Pisa. Artists Tommaso di Battista del Verrocchio and Alessandro Forzori carried out the assignment based on drawings by Giorgio Vasari. In the early 20th century, the sgraffito decorations underwent a major restoration, during which many figures were lost and had to be entirely redone. The palazzo has been the main seat of Pisa’s Scuola Normale Superiore, part of Pisa’s renowned university system, since 1846. / Where to find it: Piazza dei Cavalieri (Knight’s Square)
In Rome
In 1890, against the backdrop of the newly unified Italy, an unknown sgraffito artist or artists rendered the façade of this building in the Ludovisi district with effigies of Renaissance superstars Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian. The three are surrounded by dragons, winged horses, garland, bowls of fruit, and various anthropomorphic figures. / Where to find it: Via Francesco Crispi 87
Not far from Campo de’ Fiori and Piazza Navona, Via del Pellegrino is a prime location for sgraffito spotting. The street in the heart of Rome hosts a pair of homes decorated with classical subjects, painted to indicate the prestige of the families living there. At Via del Pellegrino 64/65 is a lovely sgraffito mural depicting three crowned heads, which was an advertisement for Locanda dei Re Magi o dei tre re (Inn of the Three Kings) that once operated there. Right next door is another sgraffitoed house attributed to Daniele da Volterra (also known as Il Braghettone), a pupil of Michelangelo. The façade is faded, yet it’s still possible to make out evocative scenes from Roman history.
/ Where to find them: Via del Pellegrino 64/65 and 66/67
In Orvieto
On the street leading to Orvieto’s imposing Gothic cathedral is Palazzo Netti — a 16th-century building adorned with sgraffito depictions of an allegorical female above a vase or fountain; the first of five columns are carved with “air” above “fire”; the second “labor” above “study”; the third “science” above “knowledge”; the fourth “water” above “energy”; and the fifth, “earth” over “life”. In 1944, the palace was briefly seized by the German occupying army. / Where to find it: Via Lorenzo Maitani
