Giulio Bernardini – Architect

Giulio Bernardini was born in Pescia to a family of builders, decorators and plasterers.

At the age of thirteen he interrupted his studies to work in the family business but later enrolled in the Technical and Normal Schools in his city, where in 1894 he obtained a diploma in teaching drawing.

Passionate about medieval and Renaissance architecture, he supervised the restoration of various historic buildings in the city of Pescia and also tried his hand at designing private homes in Art Nouveau style, as well as funerary chapels in eclectic style in the cemetery of Pescia.

On the occasion of the May celebrations in 1886 in honor of the Holy Crucifix he managed to make the Pescia river navigable, in the urban stretch between the bridges of San Francesco and the cathedral.

The work that gave him greatest fame was the urban planning of Montecatini Terme, according to the model of European spa towns, with tree-lined avenues and elegant homes.

The architect Bernardini was called to manage the technical office of the New Baths by Pietro Baragiola, a Lombard entrepreneur, elected to parliament for the first time in 1904, who saw in the waters of Montecatini an investment to focus on. Baragiola in fact purchased the concession of the State Baths and several springs and lands from private individuals, becoming the owner of the Torretta spring, the Fortuna spring, the Tamerici establishment, the Salute establishment, other springs and the lands around the Excelsior establishment, on which he wanted parks and gardens, taking them away from construction. The entrepreneur aimed to give Montecatini the thermal level of European cities such as Karlsbad and Vichy and induced Giulio Bernardini to visit and study, traveling by train, spas in Switzerland, Bohemia and Germany.

In addition to the creation of a new Montecatini, conceived as an ideal city, following typical models of the European cultural climate of those years that required the inclusion of large green spaces within cities, the architect from Pescia is responsible for the renovation of the Locanda Maggiore and the design of the Grand Hotel La Pace, Bristol, Scannavini, Eden hotels and, in particular, the Torretta, Fortuna and Tamerici spas and the layout of the spa park, now recognized as UNESCO heritage sites.

He also worked in other Tuscan locations, in Florence, Pisa, Casciana Terme, Lamporecchio, Castelfiorentino, and Italian locations, such as Salsomaggiore Terme and Agnano Terme.