Designer Piero Fornasetti's signature motif has long adorned wallpapers, furniture and — most famously — ceramic plates. Now, it’s nestled within the pool tiles at a 5-star hotel in Northern Italy.
“Fornasetti Style” encompasses many things, but it’s easily recognized by depictions of one woman’s face: opera star Lina Cavalieri (1874-1944), whom Fornasetti once saw in a magazine. His signature collection, Themes and Variations, features hundreds of surreal versions of her face across a home decor line that became popular in the 1950s.
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Glass mosaic producer Bisazza continued this motif in their design of the L’Albereta Relais & Chateaux hotel swimming pool. Cavalieri’s timeless face appears on the floor, surrounded by a delicate arrangement of petals in 25 different shades of pink and blue. Created using digital mosaic technique, the completed project required over 600,000 tiles.
Each tile measures 20-by-20 mm, with a thickness of 4 mm. The light- to-dark gradation is characteristic of Bisazza’s Ortenzia shading blend, one of seven blends created as part of the brand’s partnership with Fornasetti. The pattern is suitable for swimming pools and spas, indoor walls, outdoor walls, showers and light-traffic indoor flooring.
The pool at L’Albereta Relais & Chateaux is open daily for all guests from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.
