Nello and Didier Rossetti, Maisons décorées / Decorated houses

pictures (April 2010) of the house in the rue du Soleil 
courtesy of Jessica Straus

This is the story of father Nello Rossetti (1908-1980) and his son Didier Rossetti (1930), who constructed and decorated their own houses in and near the French city of le Mans.

Grand Lucé

The story began in the 1920's when Nello Rossetti migrated from Italy and settled in the French community of le Grand Lucé, in the le Mans area.

He was a mason and he single-handedly built a house on 9 rue de Remblais. It became a two storey house, not very large, but with very nice decorative brickwork in the facade.

Le Mans, rue du Printemps

Then, after WWII had ended, the city of le Mans offered plots of land for sale in the outskirts of the town where houses could be built. Rossetti Sr obtained such a plot and in 1945 he began building his next house, once more decorating it like he had done in Grand Lucé.

 rue du Printemps, courtesy of Art Insolite Amis

The house in le Mans is on the rue du Printemps, nr 15. Here is a  link to streetview,

detail, rue du Printemps, 

courtesy of Art Insolite Amis

Rossetti Sr died in 1980. The house is no longer in the family, but the new owners have retained the decorations as they once were made.

Le Mans, rue du Soleil

Rossetti had given part of the plot of land to his son Didier. who constructed there his own house. This is the one represented in the picture on top of this post, located 34 rue du Soleil. Here is a link to streetview.

Of the three houses, this one has the most exuberant decorative aspects, with columns, galleries, arches and frescoes.

rue de Soleil

The authorities rewarded this creative adventure with a penalty, Didier Rossetti had to pay, because he did not meet formal regulations.

However, in later years the city expressed appreciation for the decorations, by mentioning them in a city guide.

rue de Soleil

 

In 2019 it has been reported by Bruno Montpied in his weblog that the house has been put up for sale. It is possible that this has to do with the circumstance that Didier Rosetti passed away around that time, being in his late 80s.

Documentation/acknowledgements

The information in the original version of this post was derived from the only available source with regard to these creations, the French Art Insolite website, which also has pictures of the rue de Remblais and the rue du Printemps.

Nello and Didier Rossetti

Maisons décorées

9 rue du Remblais

72000 le Grand Lucé, dept Sarthe, region Pays de a Loire, France

15 rue du Printemps/34 rue du Soleil

72000 le Mans. dept Sarthe, region Pays de la Loire, France

visible from the street