Brion Tomb / Carlo Scarpa | Classics on Architecture Lab

Architects: Carlo Scarpa
Area: 2,200 m²
Year: 1968-1979
Photography: Trevor Patt, Mili Sánchez Azcona, Filippo Poli, Liam Wyatt (Wittylama)
Client: Onorina Brion
Commission: Onorina Tomasin-Brion
Location: San Vito d’Altivole, Treviso
Country: Italy

Brion Tomb, also known as the Brion Sanctuary and Brion-Vega Tomb, is a commemorative monument designed by Carlo Scarpa in San Vito d’Altivole, Treviso, Italy as the burial ground of the Brion family. The Brion Tomb blends Venetian and Japanese influences within an L-shaped 2,200 m² area. Commissioned by Onorina Brion after her husband’s death in 1968, the tomb features distinct entrances, a meditation pavilion, and a chapel nearly submerged in water. The twin sarcophagi of Giuseppe and Onorina Brion are central, symbolizing their enduring bond. Scarpa’s design incorporates concrete, mosaic, and bronze, reflecting his architectural mastery. The site underwent conservation in 2021 and was donated to the Italian Environmental Fund in 2022.

As human beings, we cannot live without stories. They fill the gaps in our reality and allow us to live numerous lives in our imagination. Can architecture be considered “good” if it tells a story or contains multiple stories? This subjective question can have many answers, but one possible answer is “yes,” as exemplified by the Brion Tomb, one of Venetian architect Carlo Scarpa’s major masterpieces.

The Brion Tomb, also known as the Brion Sanctuary or Brion-Vega Tomb, in San Vito d’Altivole near Treviso, Italy, serves as the burial ground for the Brion family. Designed between 1968 and 1978 by Carlo Scarpa, this L-shaped 2,200 m² extension to the adjacent municipal cemetery is celebrated as a post-modernist masterpiece and a powerful commemorative monument. Scarpa, born in Venice on June 2, 1906, tragically died in 1978 in Sendai, Japan, following an accident.

The project was commissioned by Onorina Brion after her husband Giuseppe Brion’s death in 1968. Scarpa was free to fully express his architectural vision, resulting in a design that blends concrete, mosaic, and bronze, reflecting his deep understanding of these materials. The Brion family, co-founders of the renowned Brionvega company, entrusted Scarpa with creating a space that resonated with symbolic and aesthetic depth.

Scarpa believed that cemeteries should be like gardens. He said, “The place for the dead is a garden.” Reflecting on his approach, Scarpa noted, “I would like to explain the Brion Cemetery… I consider this work, if you permit me, to be rather good and which will get better over time. I have tried to put some poetic imagination into it, though not to create poetic architecture but to make a certain kind of architecture that could emanate a sense of formal poetry.” His design for the Brion Tomb includes several discrete elements: a sloped concrete wall, two distinct entrances, a chapel, the arcosolium for Giuseppe and Onorina Brion, and another burial area for other family members. The twin sarcophagi at the center symbolize the enduring bond between the couple.

The site features two entrances—one from the village and another from the cemetery—both leading to the central tomb. At the cemetery entrance, there is a propylon with an asymmetrical façade, a wall on the left, and a partition symbolizing strength and beauty on the right. Here, visitors encounter the vesica piscis, a symbol of the Brion couple’s unity, with one ring covered in blue mosaics and the other in pink.

The meditation pavilion, influenced by Japanese architecture, stands out with its floating concrete structure surrounded by water lilies. Scarpa noted, “I like water very much, perhaps because I am Venetian.” This serene space, detached from the rest of the ensemble, offers a place for introspection. In contrast, the chapel, nearly submerged in water and made of raw concrete, is illuminated by natural light, creating an ethereal atmosphere.

The tomb of the Brion couple, located at the sunniest point of the site, is a modern interpretation of the arcosolium. The semicircular niche with a carved arch houses the sarcophagi of Onorina and Giuseppe Brion, leaning towards each other under the protective concrete arch. This arrangement not only showcases Scarpa’s mastery of concrete but also reflects a balance between aesthetic and spiritual elements.

Scarpa’s design for the Brion Tomb also incorporates several distinct architectural features. The sloped concrete enclosing wall and the two covered burial areas create a sense of enclosure and privacy. The garden, with its dense grove of cypress trees, prato (lawn), and heavily vegetated reflecting pool, enhance the serene atmosphere of the site. The private meditation/viewing pavilion, separated from the main prato by a locked entrance, offers a secluded space for reflection.

Scarpa’s influences from both Venetian and Japanese architecture are evident in the design. The gold tiles reminiscent of Byzantine mosaics and the tea-room inspiration of the chapel showcase his ability to blend different cultural elements seamlessly. M.A.Crippa observed, “With the Brion Cemetery, Scarpa made his impact with an unreserved commitment to the modern movement and a new sureness of language, in continuity but not imitation of Wagner, Hoffman, Loos, and Frank Lloyd Wright. He re-created here the splendor of nineteenth-century Middle Europe, where beauty had the power to redeem man from his limitations. He avoided the narrow dictates of rationalism, choosing rather to stress inner depth, dreams, and nostalgia.”

A conservation-restoration of the Brion Tomb was completed in September 2021. In 2022, the Brion heirs, Ennio and Donatella, donated the site to the Italian Environmental Fund (FAI), ensuring its preservation for future generations.

The Brion Tomb exemplifies Scarpa’s architectural narrative, merging personal introspection and collective celebration. The meditation pavilion, the chapel, and the spouses’ tomb are harmoniously united by vegetation, cypress trees, and water pathways. Scarpa’s design transforms the site into a place for both the living and the dead, capturing a poetic dialogue between life and death.

Reflecting on his work, Scarpa stated, “I wanted to show some ways in which you could approach death in a social and civic way; and further what meaning there was in death, in the ephemerality of life.” Carlo Scarpa, known for his instinctive approach to materials and his ability to balance new and old elements, left an indelible mark on modern architecture. His work on the Brion Tomb stands as a testament to his architectural philosophy, combining formal poetry with a deep understanding of the human experience.

Project Gallery

Project Location

Address: Via Brioni, 31030 San Vito d’Altivole, Treviso, Veneto, Italy

Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.