Italian House Plans
Italian style homes feature a gently-pitched roof with wide, overhanging eaves supported by large decorative brackets creating an impression resembling the pediment shape of classical temples. The Italian style floor plan typically revolves around a circular staircase in a tall tower. Common Italianate features are the grouping of either straight or round-headed windows into threes or small arcades, and the placement of porches or arcaded loggias between the tower and house or at the corners. Italian style homes dominated American housing construction between 1850 and 1880 when the idea of rural Italy was romanticized by Americans. Many historians believe the Italian style, or Italian villa style was favored for two reasons; these homes could be built with many different materials and the style could be easily adapted depending on the budget. New technologies of the Victorian Era made it possible to quickly and inexpensively produce cast-iron and press-metal decorations.
