Casa del Mutilato (English: House of the Mutilated) is a public building in Trapani, Sicily. It was constructed in the 1930s to serve as the headquarters of the local association of war-disabled and veteran soldiers.[1]
Built during the Fascist period, the building forms part of a wider programme of public works that reshaped Trapani between the First and Second World Wars. It is considered an example of interwar modern architecture in western Sicily and is associated with the architect Giuseppe Eugenio Genovese.[2]
History
The Casa del Mutilato was established as the local headquarters of the Associazione Nazionale Mutilati e Invalidi di Guerra (National Association of War Disabled and Invalids), as part of a nationwide initiative to provide dedicated premises for war veterans following the First World War.[1] Its construction took place within the broader public building programmes promoted during the Fascist regime, which sought to modernise civic infrastructure and assert state presence in urban spaces.
The building was completed in the 1930s, a period of significant urban development in Trapani. New public and institutional structures, such as the Palazzo delle Poste, were introduced in key areas of the city, often altering existing urban layouts. Within this context, the Casa del Mutilato formed part of efforts to redefine the city centre through contemporary architectural forms.[1]
After the fall of the Fascist regime and the Second World War, the building’s original function gradually declined. In the following decades, it underwent changes of use and modifications that altered some of its original architectural features, reflecting wider reassessments of Fascist-era buildings in Italy.[2]
Architecture
The Casa del Mutilato was designed by Giuseppe Eugenio Genovese, an architect active in Trapani during the interwar period.[1] The building displays a restrained architectural style typical of many public buildings constructed in Italy during the 1930s, combining elements of modernist design with references to classical composition.
The structure is characterised by simple geometric forms and a balanced arrangement of volumes, intended to convey an institutional character without extensive ornamentation. Its design reflects broader trends in Italian architecture of the period, which sought to reconcile modern construction methods with traditional architectural language.[2]
Despite later alterations and the loss of some original features, the Casa del Mutilato remains of interest for the study of interwar public architecture in Sicily and the role of state-sponsored building programmes in shaping the urban development of Trapani during the twentieth century.[2]
Gallery
Benito Mussolini on the balcony of the Casa del Mutilato during the building’s inauguration in 1937.
References
1234Damiano, Salvatore (2018). Il moderno a Trapani. Due esempi: la Casa del Balilla e la Casa del Mutilato[Modern Architecture in Trapani. Two Examples: the Casa del Balilla and the Casa del Mutilato] (in Italian). Aracne Editrice. ISBN978-88-255-1719-4.
1234Di Benedetto, Giuseppe (2018). "Architetture esemplari". Il moderno a Trapani. Due esempi: la Casa del Balilla e la Casa del Mutilato (in Italian). Aracne Editrice. pp.137–140. ISBN978-88-255-1719-4.
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