vipp preserves baroque maximalism in a 13th-century italian palazzo turned pop-up hotel

Palazzo Monti in Brescia with Vipp

Vipp opens the gates to a 13th-century Italian palazzo in Brescia, Italy after it transformed the space into a pop-up hotel experience, fusing Scandinavian minimalism with Baroque maximalism. The palazzo stands as a 13th-century palace decorated with frescoes from 1750, and since 2017, under the aegis of curator and founder Edoardo Monti, Palazzo Monti has hosted more than 200 artists in residence.

Touched by the Danish design company Vipp, the Baroque frames will assume a new dimension that fuses art, design, and hospitality. The seventh guest in the Vipp portfolio, Vipp Palazzo Monti was envisioned as a liveable installation and realized by Danish interior designer Julie Cloos Mlsgaard. This deconstructed hotel concept involves architects and designers who delved into the architectural archetypes that transformed the hotel into a distinctive, bookable venue.

images courtesy of Vipp | photos by Irina Boersma and César Machado

Baroque maximalism with scandinavian minimalism

Entering the intricately detailed gates of the palazzo feels like stepping into an old master’s painting, greeted almost instantly by a voluminous staircase framed by pastel frescoes. The ensemble guides the guest in an almost royal manner to the Vipp guesthouse occupying the first floor.

Being the only visitor in the sleeping area which may hark back to the Japanese style of resting, the guest wakes up beneath 3-meter-high fresco-adorned ceilings, leaving an imprint of an ethereal and historic sensorial experience.

The transformation of three adjacent rooms—a hallway, a salon, and a bedroom with an attached walk-in closet and bathroom—into a modern suite features Vipp’s minimalist furniture and lighting collection against an ornate backdrop of décor and artwork. The ground floor’s rooms and the combined kitchen and dining area have all been designed by Danish interior designer Julie Cloos Mlsgaard.

Here, in the so-called piano nobile (hosting floor), a modular kitchen island from Vipp in matte black commands attention in an intriguing dialogue between modern industrial design beneath a loft of ancient Venetian frescoes and above a tiled floor made of hand-made jade tiles from the local area. Green accents are frequently used, recalling the 1600s interior design of the area.

Enjoying the views of Brescia’s historic district

There are three artists who are currently participating in the residency program at Palazzo Monti, and the guests may visit the artists in their studios on the top floor of the palazzo where their company enjoys scenic views of Brescia’s historic district, including UNESCO World Heritage Sites and many alleyways lined with osterias serving delicious Italian fare.

‘We have a loft, a shelter, a factory, and a farmhouse in our guesthouse portfolio. Now, during April, the month that epitomize design in Europe, we add a palazzo to our list of one-room wonders. Our ambition is to transform objects into curated design experiences. At Vipp Palazzo Monti, this experience reaches a whole new dimension,’ says Kasper Egelund, 3rd generation owner and CEO of Vipp.

‘Palazzo Monti showcases a broad array of art exhibitions. For the first time, we will host a liveable installation curated by Vipp where we invite guests to check into our residency’, says Edoardo Monti, founder of Palazzo Monti. The ephemeral venue will open its gates on April 18th, 2023 at the occasion of Milan Design Week.