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Lifestyle Journal and Hospitality Studies

UnSeen Memos by Angie Palmai  



The Atelier Mood


Casa Malaparte, Adalberto Libera, Curzio Malaparte 1938-43

Villa Malaparte, built in 1938 by architect Adalberto Libera in

Punta Massullo on the Isle of Capri,

is considered to be one of the best examples of Modern Italian architecture. The house, a red structure with inverted pyramid stairs, sits 32 meters over a cliff on the Gulf of Salerno.

After the death of Curzio Malaparte in 1957 the house was completely abandoned, spending much of the twentieth century in a state of total disrepair.

In 1961, Jean-Luc Godard shot his acclaimed film Le Mépris in Villa Malaparte.

In this film, the architecture takes on a leading role and becomes closely linked to the script of the film.

It was not until the late 1980s and early '90s that serious reconstruction and restoration of Villa Malaparte began. These were led by Niccolò Rositani (the great-nephew of Curzio), thereby repositioning the house into the public eye once more.








curated by ATELIER, 2025