After the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, the governors of the Dodecanese, Mario Lago (1924-1936) and Cesare de Vecchi (1936-1940), in order to assert their power and strengthen Italy's national prestige, began an intensive urban development activity. According to the new urban plan, the work of the architect Florestano di Fausto opened a coastal avenue in Mandraki, on both sides of which were located the most important public buildings.
One of them is the General Administration Building or Government Palace (Palazzo del Governo), located immediately north of the Church of the Annunciation. Its construction began in 1925 and was completed in 1927. The architect presented a plan for a three-story building, later due to the outbreak of the war the floors were reduced to two.
Di Fausto, trying to integrate the building into the existing aesthetic image of the city, combines Eastern and Byzantine traditions with Gothic and Renaissance elements, seeking a symbolism that refers to the historical and geographical presence of the island at the crossroads between East and West. He adopts a dual approach to the facades of the building, since due to its location and orientation it has two important facades, one facing the sea and the other facing the city.
Thus, the first floor of the building is surrounded by a portico with elements that refer to Venetian architecture, while to the north and west there are clear references to the architecture of the chivalric period. The stonework of the eastern facade is the element with the greatest influence of the Renaissance and Venetian architecture, with a clear resemblance to the Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace) of Venice.
This combination of different traditions and elements makes the Government Building the best preserved example of the eclecticism that permeated the work of F. di Fausto.
In front of the palace is a large flagpole with the Greek flag, on the wall are two memorial plaques in honor of the liberation from occupation in 1945 and the raising of the Greek flag in 1947.
One of them is the General Administration Building or Government Palace (Palazzo del Governo), located immediately north of the Church of the Annunciation. Its construction began in 1925 and was completed in 1927. The architect presented a plan for a three-story building, later due to the outbreak of the war the floors were reduced to two.
Di Fausto, trying to integrate the building into the existing aesthetic image of the city, combines Eastern and Byzantine traditions with Gothic and Renaissance elements, seeking a symbolism that refers to the historical and geographical presence of the island at the crossroads between East and West. He adopts a dual approach to the facades of the building, since due to its location and orientation it has two important facades, one facing the sea and the other facing the city.
Thus, the first floor of the building is surrounded by a portico with elements that refer to Venetian architecture, while to the north and west there are clear references to the architecture of the chivalric period. The stonework of the eastern facade is the element with the greatest influence of the Renaissance and Venetian architecture, with a clear resemblance to the Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace) of Venice.
This combination of different traditions and elements makes the Government Building the best preserved example of the eclecticism that permeated the work of F. di Fausto.
In front of the palace is a large flagpole with the Greek flag, on the wall are two memorial plaques in honor of the liberation from occupation in 1945 and the raising of the Greek flag in 1947.
Translated automatically from Ukrainian. View original
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