The Palazzina Azzurra is a historic building in San Benedetto del Tronto, between viale Bruno Buozzi and viale Olindo Pasqualetti, not far from the Albula stream. It was built between 1930 and 1934 in Rationalist style, to a design by Luigi Onorati, the town's chief engineer, for the local tourist board, which wanted a meeting and entertainment place for holidaymakers; it opened on 1 September 1934, and in 1935 the design was published in the magazine Architettura.
What to see
The two-storey building, painted blue, stands beside the tennis courts and the Circolo Forestieri. The ground floor held the bar, lounges and facilities; the first floor, reached by a stairway, had the reading room, two lounges, a changing room and a smoking room. The lounges have curved glazed walls, looking out over the pine wood and the sports grounds. Around it is a Mediterranean garden with palms, roses and orange trees, and an open-air concert area with an old shell fountain, often chosen for weddings.
After the war it became one of the most popular evening venues and dance halls, until the eighties, with artists such as Mike Bongiorno, Adriano Celentano, Sergio Endrigo, Claudio Villa and Mina. After a period of decline, the restoration carried out by the municipality in 1996 turned it into an art space, whose exhibition rooms have shown works by Andy Warhol, Mario Schifano, Fulvio Roiter, Ugo Nespolo, Enrico Baj and Andrea Pazienza.
Visiting
The Palazzina hosts exhibitions every year: programme and opening times should be checked with the municipality.
Our editors' tip
In the courtyard stands «Vale & Tino», the large coloured neon sculpture by Marco Lodola.
