Outside,theonlyhintsofmodernityarelaser-cut
steelgatesandnewdry-stonewallsinfrontof
theproperty.Limestoneor‘Modicastone’isused
throughoutthetown,inbuildingsandwalls– it’s
thefirstthingyounoticeonarrival.Warmandsoft,
thestoneturnspinkintheeveninglight,a contrast
tothedarkvolcanicstoneofnearbyCatania.
Cavesarealsodistinctivetothetown.Originally
usedasbronze-ageburialtombs,theywereadapted
inthe8thcenturyasdwellings.Cannatatellsmethat
inmedievaltimes15,000peoplelivedincaves.Even
now,abouthalfthehousesinthecentreofModica
havecaves.Cannata’shouseisbuiltononethatwould
haveoriginallybeenthestables.Miahasdesignson
thisspacea futurepartyroom.
Therearetwootherbuildingsonthepropertythat
Cannatawilldevelopinstages– atwhichpoint,the
firstsmallhousewillbecomea masterbedroomand
bathroomforthelargerhome.Hismotivationtoget
crackingwithphasetwo?Tocreatea spaceforhis
enormous‘Delfi’tablebyCarloScarpa.
Afewyearsago,whilebrowsingthroughanantique
shopinCatania,hefoundaninterestingmarbletable
top.Hethenspotteda monolithicCarraramarble
baseandrealisedhewas,infact,lookingatthe‘Delfi’
table– arevisionofa 1930srationalisttablebyMarcel
Breuer,whichScarpaworkedonin 1968 andchanged
withBreuer’shelp.Cannatapurchasedit fora song,
andit tooka yeartogetit backtoSicily.They’ll
welcomethedaytheysitaroundit inthefinished
house:inthemeantime,they’re perfectly happy
in their stone caravan.Limestone,or‘Modica’stone,
is usedthroughoutthetown,
inbuildingsandwalls– it’sthe
first thing you notice on arrival.