Alright, take a good look at Villa Urania over on your right. Now, if you were standing here in the late 1800s, you’d be getting a whiff of sea air and watching well-dressed locals showing off their Sunday best, thanks to the brand new railway line that brought the Adriatic closer to the city crowd.
Villa Urania was built in 1896 - at a time when folks still called this district Castellammare Adriatico and a summer house meant you actually needed a full villa by the beach. The original owner, Baron Giandomenico Treccia, along with his wife Urania Valentini - talk about old money, by the way - wanted a seaside villa worthy of their standing. They hired Francesco Selecchy, an engineer who clearly didn't believe in blending in. Just look at the big central portico with four columns, those sturdy terraces, and a front decked out with wavy moldings, dentils (those little tooth-like blocks), and decorative flourishes that would make even a baroque architect nod approvingly.
There’s also a pediment topped off by a roof ornament shaped like a shell, spirals, and stylized leaves. It’s as if someone challenged Selecchy to fit as many decorative types as possible into one building - and he politely accepted.
Inside, little remains of the original style, thanks to later renovations, but the exterior still tells the story of a city eager to look modern and cosmopolitan. Today, Villa Urania houses the Paparella Treccia Devlet Museum, filled with art collected over four decades and donated for public good - which, in today’s money, is basically like giving away a small fortune.
Alright, when you’re ready for more, head southwest for about 16 minutes to check out Pescara Town Hall.
