Draft:Villa Fraccaroli
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Last edited by Su13.koroma (talk | contribs) 2 seconds ago. (Update) |
| Villa Fraccaroli | |
|---|---|
 Main facade of Villa Fraccaroli | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Never completed |
| Type | Villa |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| Location | Vicenza |
| Address | Via Libertà, 219, 36013 |
| Town or city | Piovene Rocchette, VI |
| Country | Italy |
| Coordinates | 45°45′23″N 11°25′47″E / 45.756321295269984°N 11.429694162566108°E |
| Current tenants | Currently abandoned |
| Year(s) built | 1853 |
| Demolished | Partially, during the First World War |
| Owner | Noble Alessandro Fraccaroli and his wife Lucia Verlato |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 3 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Antonio Caregaro Negrin |
| Known for | The legend of a ghostly child |
Villa Fraccaroli, often referred to as The Castle of Spirits, is a 19th-century villa located in Piovene Rocchette.[1] This imposing structure, currently abandoned and privately owned, was originally conceived as a grand residence by the Fraccaroli family, consisting of Paolina Carlotta Fraccaroli and Francesco Dalla Negra, who were prominent landowners in the region. Due to its connection with the adjacent Villa Verlato[2], ownership passed through various hands; however, no attempts were made to reconstruct or reinhabit the property. The villa is now often associated with mysterious events, including the tale of a ghostly child.
Family Background
[edit]The history of the Fraccaroli family is closely tied to Villa Verlato, located next door. The property belonged to the Verlato family until their daughter, Lucia, married a member of the Fraccaroli family, Alessandro. From this union, Paolina Carlotta was born. In 1853, her parents decided to have the Villa built for her, later, Paolina became the sole owner of old family property. Carlotta married Francesco Della Negra, and together they were supposed to live in their new house. In the same year, she gave birth in Arzignano, where Francesco owned some land.[2]
Location and Surroundings
[edit]Villa Fraccaroli is located in Piovene Rocchette, a town with approximately 8,000 inhabitants, situated in the foothills of the Venetian Pre-Alps.[3] The area is known for its hilly terrain and surrounding forests, while the nearby landscape is primarily made up of agricultural fields. Piovene Rocchette is part of the Veneto region, which is historically significant, with several villas and estates scattered across the countryside.[4]
The villa itself is located along Via della Libertà, on a slope overlooking the rural landscapes and surrounding mountains, including Monte Summano.[5] The villa is next to Villa Verlato, a 16th-century structure tied to the Fraccaroli family lineage. The Villa Fraccaroli, which remains unfinished, is surrounded by overgrown gardens.[6]
History
[edit]Villa Fraccaroli gets its name from the once influential Italian Fraccaroli family of Vicenza. In 1853 Lucia Verlato, a member of the Verlato family, married Alessandro Fraccaroli, and the couple had a daughter, Paolina Carlotta Fraccaroli. The villa was commissioned to be built in her honor, and the renowned architect of the time, Antonio Caregaro Negrin, was hired to design it. The plan was for the villa to have three stories, numerous windows, two towers, and to stand out for its elegance.
The villa was only partially completed, mainly due to the family relocating from Vicenza to Arzignano, where Francesco Della Negra, Paolina's husband, had land, which reduced their interest in the project. Additionally, the mid-18th century in Italy was a tumultuous period, and it is likely that the family fell victim to the economic and political instability of the time, further contributing to the unfinished state of the villa. After Paolina Carlotta Fraccaroli became a widow, she is rumored to have moved to Vienna, according to the historian Giovanni Mantese.
The Legend and Mysteries
[edit]The legend of the Villa Fraccaroli originates from the nearby 16th-century Villa Verlato, a property of the influential Verlato Family. The story begins when the heiress Lucia Verlato married a nobleman from the Fraccaroli Family, and their union brought forth Paolina Carlotta. In 1853, Paolina's parents commissioned the construction of a new Villa in her honor. Paolina Carlotta Fraccaroli, wife of Francesco Dalla Negra, a landowner from Arzignano, entrusted the design of the villa to one of the preeminent Venetian architects of the time, Antonio Caregaro Negrin. According to the legend, Francesco, deeply interested in esoteric practices, intended the villa as a place to pursue studies in the black magic. [7]
Inside, stone shelves are supported by statues with grotesque features, designed both as structural buttresses and as a symbolic guardians intended to ward off evil spirits.[8] According to the legend, during the villa's construction, a little girl was tragically struck by a beam and then died, and her restless spirit is said to wander the villa's rooms in search of peace. Despite having been commissioned from one of the most esteemed Venetian architects of the times, the villa remains an imposing but unfinished ruin.[5]
According to other sources, however, the plan to dedicate the villa to the dark arts was halted by Francesco's wife. Several theories attempt to explain why the villa was never completed, including the family's relocation due to the plague epidemic, potential work commitments elsewhere or due to the imminent arrival of a child. Fraccaroli ultimately requested that the architect incorporate talismans throughout the villa to guard against the malevolent spirits believed to pursue him. Among these protective symbols are stone shelves upheld by grotesque statues, which primarily serve as structural buttresses intended to support and reinforce the walls.[8]
Biography of the Architect
[edit]
Source : A Manual for "Nuova Schio"
Author : Unknown Author
Antonio Caregaro Negrin was the architect of Villa Fraccaroli. He was born in Vicenza on June 13, 1821, and died in the native city on December 26, 1898. Despite his classical education, he became very interested in modern trends, becoming a precursor of the Liberty Style (Art Nouveau). He began his career with a technical drawing course and later persued architecture more deeply. He carried out several restoration projects for important Vicentine families, such as Villa Trevisanato, Villa Stucky, Villa Gazzotti, and Villa Tavazzano. In 1847, he also restored the scenery of the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, becoming an Olympic Academician. An honorary title given to individuals who become members of the Olympic Academy of Vicenza, one of the oldest and most prestigious cultural academies in Italy. His legacy can be found at the Biblioteca Civica Bertoliana in Vicenza, where drawings, projects and publications are kept. In 1853, Fraccaroli and his wife asked architect Negrin to design and build this Villa for them.[1]
The architect's influence extends beyond his built works, with writings such as Scritti sui giardini (Writings on Gardens), which examines the relationship between architecture and nature and has contributed to discourse on landscape and design philosophy. [9] His speech Nella commemorazione del 10 giugno 1848 sul Monte Berico: parole pronunciate (In Commemoration of June 10, 1848, at Monte Berico: Words Spoken) reflects on the 1848 uprising and illustrates his engagement with the social and political context of his time.[10]
Architecture
[edit]The architectural style of Villa Fraccaroli is neoclassical, characterized by structural references related to the great buildings of the ancient Greeks and Romans. When completed, the villa was to represent an unmatched level of elegance and magnificence. It was to consist of three floors and two turrets. The special feature of this villa was the numerous windows on each floor. The front facade of the Fraccaroli mansion, above the arches of the three gates, features stone corbels supporting statuettes with demonic likenesses. They are buttresses for the walls, which then over the years have taken on different meanings.[11]
The interior plan of the ground floor, the only completed one of the Villa Fraccaroli, consisted of a central hall connecting the entrance door to the other rooms and to a door facing the back garden, two polygonal rooms, symmetrical to each other, that were part of the two turrets positioned respectively to the right and left of the main entrance, two other rectangular rooms and prominent bodies with curved facades that extended to the right and left. The staircase started from the center of the atrium and then divided into two parts which would rest on the wall. The stairs had a circular design. The villa is extended more in width than in depth and should have had a large outdoor garden developed on its front facade. The second floor, that would have been symmetrical to the ground one, and would have housed the sleeping accommodations.
The building materials used in the construction of the villa were rough stone and terracotta, which, by stylistic choice of the architect, was left visible. The windows were decorated with corner pilasters and floral patterns or with bricks placed in rays.
Villa Fraccaroli Today
[edit]Today, the villa stands in a preserved state, surrounded by an enchanting garden, extended more in width than in depth with a succession of prestigious halls. The side turrets and numerous arches lend the facade a majestic and imposing presence. The property is enclosed by a gate, to prohibit entry to the most curious, waiting for the night to wander though the rooms in search of ghosts.
The owner's family affairs were unable to complete the villa, although it is likely that the construction was finished up to the roof level and that the ground floor was suitable for habitation, subsequent owners, however, lacked the resources and commitment to take on such an ambitious project. The villa remains abandoned however with great potential for future predicts.[7]
During the First World War, the villa was used for military purposes and since the village of Piovene Rocchette was close to the frontlines, the villa was bombed, and the left wing of the building was completely destroyed and it has never been rebuilt.[8]
The FAI initiative, "Fondo per l'Ambiente italiano" (Fund for the Italian Environment), which has included Villa Fraccaroli among the places to be saved, on the recovery project and since 2016, Villa Fraccaroli has been listed among the FAI's Places of the Heart, recognizing its cultural and historical significance. [12]
References
[edit]- ^ a b AltoVicentinOnline; Altovicentinonline, Giornalisti (2023-08-25). "Piovene Rocchette. Palazzo Fraccaroli e la leggenda dello spirito della bambina". AltoVicentinOnline (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-11-08.
- ^ a b "La grande Famiglia VERLATO | La storia di un cognome in Vicenza dall'anno 1004" (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-11-18.
- ^ Brinkhoff, Thomas. "Piovene Rocchette (Vicenza, Venetia, Italy) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
- ^ "Piovene Rocchette". www.comunideco.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-11-17.
- ^ a b Lampedecchia, Pamela (2016). I misteri d'Italia [The Mysteries of Italy] (in Italian). Lulu.com (published 5 May 2016). ISBN 9781326646752.
- ^ "Villa Verlato, Fraccaroli, Ballarin, Filippi Chiappin, Chiappin". cultureveneto.it. Retrieved 2024-11-17.
- ^ a b "Villa Fraccaroli, il Castello degli Spiriti di Piovene". Love Velo d'Astico (in Italian). 2018-04-13. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
- ^ a b c "Piovene Rocchette, Villa Fraccaroli: il mistero della bimba fantasma". VicenzaToday (in Italian). 2018-01-28. Retrieved 2024-11-08.
- ^ Negrin, Antonio Caregaro (2005). Ricatti Tavone, Bernardetta (ed.). Scritti sui giardini. Fonti e testi inediti e rari per la civiltà delle ville venete. Torino: Allemandi. ISBN 978-88-422-1320-8.
- ^ Negrin, Antonio Caregaro (1873). Nella commemorazione del 10 giugno 1848 sul monte Berico parole pronunciate (in Italian). Biblioteca di storia moderna e contemporanea, Rome: Tip. reale G. Burato.
- ^ Olivetto, Gianpietro (2020). La dolce vita di Fraka. All Around srl. p. 512. ISBN 978-88-99332-60-0.
- ^ "Villa Fraccaroli: il castello stregato degli spiriti – Pensiero spensierato" (in Italian). 2014-05-24. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
External links
[edit]Veneto misterioso: Villa Fraccaroli, la “leggenda” della casa degli Spiriti a Piovene Rocchette in provincia di Vicenza, [Mysterious Veneto: Villa Fraccaroli, the “legend” of the House of Spirits in Piovene Rocchette] (in italian)