Antonio Virzi: arquiteto e arquitetura migrantes

Abstract

This dissertation aims at contributing to the research in progress by other authors on the life and work of the Italian architect Antonio Virzi, who immigrated to Rio de Janeiro in 1911. For this purpose, the first part of this dissertation presents a small immersion in the context of Rio de Janeiro: the relationship between urban reform and eclectic architecture; the origins of Eclecticism in architecture; its manifestation in some Rio de Janeiro’s public buildings’ architecture, in 1908 and 1922 exhibitions and in some residences. Afterwards, the second chapter attempts at reconstructing Virzi's trajectory in our country, documented by news, texts, advertisements and other scanned or photographed documents. Finally, the third chapter aims at understanding better the person and works of the architect: turning to the Italian context of his alleged formation; more specifically, focusing briefly on the Liberty movement and the Italian architect Ernesto Basile; considering the roots of this movement in William Morris; pointing out what were the Italian architectural models in which Virzi was probably inspired for the creation of Villino Silveira House and Our Lady of Lourdes Basilic (works chosen for this work’s analysis); the Art Nouveau and Art Decó presented in these two works; models in which Virzi possibly was inspired by in order to create those ornamentations; and the presumable influence of Brazilian flora and the art from Marajo Island (PA) on the ornaments he created