Villa Girasole - an Italian Sunflower House Living by Solar Laws (11 photos + 1 video)

In the picturesque hills of northern Italy, near Verona, stands an unusual house in the shape of the letter L. This is Villa Girasole, which means "sunflower" in Italian. And just like the flower it is named after, the villa slowly turns to follow the sun.





Its owner and architect, Angelo Invernizzi, conceived this house so that it could "absorb" as much sunlight as possible, enhancing its healing properties.



In the 1930s, when science was just beginning to study the health benefits of sunlight, such projects seemed revolutionary. In France, doctor Jean Seidman built a rotating solarium to treat patients with tuberculosis and cancer. His design, with a horizontal platform that follows the sun, was patented in 1929. It was then that Invernizzi, a railway engineer, decided to apply his knowledge to creating a rotating house.

The Sunflower Device





Two two-story wings extend from a central tower with a staircase and an elevator. The entire building is located on a rotating base with roller bearings, and the movement is provided by two diesel engines. The speed is about 23 centimeters per minute. The rotation is controlled by three buttons: forward, backward and stop.



The first floor is the day area with a living room, dining room and study, the second floor is the bedrooms and bathrooms, located symmetrically.



The construction, completed in 1935, required engineering solutions: cracks in the walls due to vibration were eliminated with aluminum panels, and internal defects were hidden under canvas coverings.



In the early years, the villa was rotated daily for fun and for guests. There was a swimming pool, a tennis court, and an orchard. Invernizzi's daughter, Lidia, recalled how her father would sit for long periods on the terrace, admiring the scenery, and looking incredibly calm and peaceful.





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