What is Palazzo Cornazzani and where is it located?
Palazzo Cornazzani is a historic palace in Pavia, in the Lombardy region of Italy. It was built in the 15th century in late Gothic style, incorporating the remains of earlier buildings on the site.
Questions about Palazzo Cornazzani
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Did Albert Einstein live at Palazzo Cornazzani?
Albert Einstein lived at Palazzo Cornazzani as a teenager, between 1895 and 1896. His father Hermann had come to Pavia to oversee a factory manufacturing electric machines.
What essay did Albert Einstein write while living at Palazzo Cornazzani?
Einstein wrote a short essay titled "On the Investigation of the State of the Ether in a Magnetic Field" during his time at Palazzo Cornazzani between 1895 and 1896.
Why is Palazzo Cornazzani also known as Casa del Foscolo?
The palace acquired the name Casa del Foscolo because the Italian poet Ugo Foscolo lived there during the years he held a professorship at the University of Pavia. The street where the building stands was later named after him as well.
Who were the Cornazzani family and how did they come to own Palazzo Cornazzani?
The Cornazzani were a noble lineage of Parma origin who served Filippo Maria Visconti and then the Sforza, earning Milanese citizenship. The palace passed to them from the Beccaria family in the 16th century through marriage, and a branch of the family settled permanently in Pavia.
What are the notable architectural features of Palazzo Cornazzani?
Palazzo Cornazzani is organized around two courtyards: the first, from the 15th century, features a portico with octagonal granite columns and a Gothic-style loggia with wooden columns. The interior preserves 15th-century coffered ceilings, Baroque frescoes, and a neoclassical wing, while the plastered exterior facade carries a 15th-century terracotta tile depicting the Nativity.