I GRANDI MAESTRI DEL DESIGN
SHOWROOM IN LA SPEZIA

Exhibition space

Salita Vanicella, 9 (from via XXVll Marzo) - 19121 La Spezia - Italy 

By appointment only:
Monday to Friday: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Also available on Saturdays and Sundays

To book a visit:
Tel. +39 0187 730274
mobile : +39 338 88 49 368 (WhatsApp)
e-mail: commerciale@grandimaestri.it

Historic Location

Located on the upper hills of La Spezia, on the Poggio hill just 200 meters from San Giorgio Castle, the I Grandi Maestri del Design showroom spans two floors of a villa designed by the Futurist architect Manlio Costa. Built in 1934 by this pupil of Angiolo Mazzoni, the building has sleek lines and breathtaking views of the Gulf of Poets and the naval base.

Please note that the showroom entrance is not the garage at the base of the retaining wall shown on some online navigation maps along Via XXVII Marzo (opposite house number 15). That location is provided simply as a helpful reference point when arriving by car. The actual entrance to our exhibition space is accessed on foot via the ramp of the Vanicella staircase, which begins opposite number 9 Via XXVII Marzo. 

From Futurism to Bauhaus

The orange villa at Salita Vanicella 9 is one of La Spezia's finest examples of Futurism—an avant-garde movement founded in Italy by the writer, poet, and playwright Filippo Tommaso Marinetti that, at the beginning of the last century, revolutionized the concept of living through rationality and speed. On clear days, the contours of the Sardinian coastline can be spotted from its terraces, which also offer a view of the training ship Amerigo Vespucci moored at the naval base during its maintenance periods.

Designed by Costa, the building is a striking example of Futurist dynamism, highlighted by diagonal lines combined with structures that were groundbreaking for their time. These architectural features align seamlessly with the Bauhaus philosophy, inspiring Giorgio Lembo, founder of I Grandi Maestri del Design, to choose this location in the early 2000s as the headquarters for the company's showroom and administrative offices.

5 minutes' walk from the city center

The showroom of I Grandi Maestri del Design is easily accessible from the city center of La Spezia. In fact, it takes less than five minutes to reach us using the two public (and free) San Giorgio elevators.

From the pedestrian area of Via Del Prione, following the city signposts indicating both the Castle and the showroom, take the vertical elevator connecting Via Indipendenza (near Via Del Prione and MyHotel) to Via XX Settembre. After crossing the street, take the inclined elevator connecting Via XX Settembre to Via XXVII Marzo.

Once you reach the Castle, turn right and follow the signs for about 100 meters until you reach the Vanicella staircase. Walk up the staircase using the left sidewalk; after a short flight of public stairs, you will find the entrance to the showroom.

By car: watch out for GPS pitfalls

Arriving by car at the I Grandi Maestri del Design showroom is simple, provided you set your GPS navigation to Via XXVII Marzo, 15 instead of Salita Vanicella 9. A past change to the one-way traffic system can mislead systems with outdated maps. Setting Via XXVII Marzo 15 as your destination guides you directly beneath Costa’s orange villa.

If you enter the official address (Salita Vanicella 9), some GPS systems may route you to the middle of the staircase leading up the hill from the city center, forcing you to walk up dozens of extra steps.

Starting from house number 15 on Via XXVII Marzo—right opposite the garage shown on some online maps—the yellow resident-only parking spaces end and the blue paid parking spaces begin, where our visitors can easily find parking.