Castione della Presolana (Bergamo): le due case sorelle di Gio Ponti

The contribution reflects the contents of a research conducted from unpublished archival sources on a little-known project by Gio Ponti: the creation of two "sister houses" for the brothers Remo and Romolo De Bartolomeis in the resort area of Castione della Presolana (Bergamo). The outcome of this research led to the placement by the Office for the Protection of Architectural and Landscape Heritage in Milan (under Law 42/2004) of protection on the two single-family houses, including the large park and the entire set of original furnishings, both fixed and movable, custom-made in walnut and chestnut wood by local craftsmen based on designs by Gio Ponti himself. The furnishings have been cataloged and described in a dedicated record. The contribution frames this project within the theme of the "escape house" of Mediterranean origin that Ponti was developing during those years, with projects published in his magazine "Domus." The theme of two "sister houses" for two twin brothers is interpreted by Ponti by assigning each house a distinctive character, visually reinforced by the study of two specific figurative motifs – the lozenge and the square – reflected in the design of the furnishings. "Total design" also extends to the applied arts, from textiles (blankets, tablecloths, bedspreads, etc.) to ceramic tableware, designed by Ponti and produced by Richard Ginori. Ponti conceived domestic furnishings as equipment for a modern civilization of living that is "Italian" and adaptable with specific characteristics in relation to different uses and environmental contexts.