Villa Muramaris

I just read in the paper that the Villa Muramaris outside Visby on the island of Gotland have burned down, in a possible arson. The house was a listed building in Sweden for its cultural and historical value, it was built in 1915-1917 as a summer home by Johnny and Ellen Roosval, he a professor in art history, she a painter, sculptor and musician. The house was built in an Italian style surrounded by a baroque garden. One of the main features in the house was an open fireplace in lime stone, made by Ellen Roosval, I hope it have survived the fire, as well as some of the sculptures in the art collection also survived. The present owner hopes to be able to rebuild the house.

I visited the house and garden several times while I lived in Visby, the house was lovely, situated near the sea and surrounded by a formal garden with statues made by Ellen Roosval. Near Muramaris is another artists' home, Brucebo, built around 1906 by the Canadian painter William Blair Bruce and his Swedish wife, the sculptor Carolina Benedicks-Bruce. Muramaris borders to the nature reserve Brucebo, with its protected bird sanctuary Skansudd.