From Italian 'facciata' (face of a building), from Latin 'facies' (face) — a building's front is literally its face.
The principal front of a building, especially one that faces a street or open space; figuratively, a deceptive outward appearance that conceals a less pleasant reality.
From French 'façade' (front of a building), from Italian 'facciata' (face of a building), from 'faccia' (face), from Vulgar Latin *facia, from Latin 'faciēs' (face, form, appearance, figure). The building's facade is literally its 'face' — the side it presents to the world. The metaphorical sense (a deceptive appearance) emerged naturally: just as a building's facade may be ornate while the structure behind it is plain, a person's facade may be polished while concealing something less attractive. Key
A building's 'facade' is literally its 'face' — from Latin 'faciēs' through Italian and French. The same root gives us 'face,' 'facet' (a small face), 'surface' (above the face), 'efface' (to wipe the face away), and 'deface' (to damage the face). English has built an entire vocabulary of appearance and