Stile Umbertino

The stile Umbertino is the Italian version of Eclecticism, a style of architecture and decorative arts common in Europe in the second half of the 19th century, and that combines in one building features from different artistic periods and repertoires.

This happened largely in the decades immediately following Italian unification, as one of the many attempts to build a national sense of unity.

It came to be applied often on buildings housing governmental bodies, such as ministries and law courts, as well as on palaces and villas for the establishment, especially in Rome, which became in 1870 the new capital of the Kingdom.

Similarly to other versions of 19th century Eclecticism, the style Umbertino draws inspiration from several periods of the history of art.

Rome, in particular, boasts several architectural ensembles built in this style, being particularly favoured for governmental infrastructures.