History
Construction of Villa Mosconi began around 1735 by the Fattori family, adjacent to an existing 16th-century winery, on the site of an ancient settlement that traces back through Arusnate and Roman times. Sold unfinished to the Mosconi family in 1769, they completed the villa, adding an exquisite 8-hectare English-style romantic park and expanding the winemaking operations, making it one of the most renowned wineries of its time in Northern Italy. During their ownership, it also became a significant literary salon, frequented by cultural luminaries like the poet Ippolito Pindemonte. In the early 20th century, the villa fell into disrepair, suffering vandalism that damaged the park and some rooms. In 1957, it was purchased and restored by the Bertani family to serve as the representative estate of their winery. Since 2012, it has been owned by the family of Gaetano Bertani, who continue the family tradition of winemaking here.
The Villa
The complex consists of a main building flanked by two lower wings, ending in symmetrical facades. Above the eastern wing stands the bell tower of the chapel dedicated to St. Gaetano, with two gates on either side providing access to the farm buildings and cellars. The entire structure, including the central body of the villa, the chapel, and the cellars, was constructed in the first half of the 18th century by the Veronese architect Adriano Cristofali, commissioned by Giacomo Fattori, the first owner of the estate. He erected the villa on the site of a pre-existing 16th-century dwelling.
The Fattori family’s intervention, which started in 1710, aimed to give the residence an aristocratic flair, clearly for self-celebration, as they had been granted the comital title. The project was initially entrusted to architect Lodovico Perini, who died before work began, and was completed by Cristofali, who masterfully crafted the classicist central body and revised the perpendicular wings. This created a front garden while concealing the less aristocratic side buildings, distinguishing the area for leisure from the more agricultural zone.
The main building spans three floors with an architectural framework marked by a double order: Tuscan on the ground floor and Ionic on the upper floor. The central facade concludes with a pediment bearing the Trezza coat of arms, adorned with nine mythological statues. The garden statues are attributed to the sculptor Lorenzo Muttoni.
The Interior
The magnificently frescoed Chamber of the Muses once hosted performances of both Opera Buffa and later Opera Seria, where one can see the Mosconi family crests. This hall extends vertically across the villa’s three floors, segmented by a painted wooden balustrade into two overlapping horizontal bands:
- The lower part features faux masonry, with niches housing monochromatic statues representing the Muses of the Arts: Architecture, Sculpture, Painting, Geometry, Astronomy, and Music.
- The upper part displays fantastical trompe l’oeil architectures, giving the ensemble a sense of perspective. Monochromatic side paintings depict the statues of Abundance and Justice, while painted satyrs above the doors symbolize the four seasons.
The main theme of the ceiling fresco is the passage of time through the seasons, a clear reference to the agricultural context of the estate. At its center, Flora sits amidst a burst of colorful flowers, with Spring and Summer to her left, painted in warm, vibrant hues, while Autumn and Winter, on the opposite side, are set against stormy clouds. Zefiro floats above, followed by joyful cherubs, with Apollo visible in the distance on his chariot. The frescoes were created by Emilian artists active in Verona, with Prospero Pesci attributed to the horizontal bands and Giuseppe Valliani, known as Il Pistoiese, credited with the central ceiling fresco.
The Gardens and Grounds
At the end of the 18th century, Verona embraced the Romantic movement, favoring the English-style garden over the traditionally green and orderly Italian garden. Following this trend, brothers Giacomo and Guglielmo Mosconi designed the lands behind the villa for dual use as a garden and woodland. They constructed a pond fed by local springs, with a central island featuring tall Taxodium trees, accessible by a wooden bridge, and a coffee house inspired by similar structures in Northern Europe. Ippolito Pindemonte also contributed to the romantic park project, introducing some English influences.
Apart from exotic plants on the island and a few Lebanese cedars, the trees are those best suited for the local woodland. In 1820, Persico described a “garden varied with exotic plants,” which also inspired the Veronese painter Angelo Dall’Oca Bianca.
A chalet by the pond, suggested by Pindemonte after being inspired by French landscapes during his holidays with friends of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, was used for afternoon reading sessions and evening social games, like chess, or moments accompanied by the harp, played by the countess’s daughters.
The park also houses an icehouse from the late 18th century, used until the mid-20th century. Within the garden, statues, benches, and a small bubbling fountain remain. The large walled area behind the villa not only encloses the garden but also a vast vineyard, creating a landscape that combines garden with countryside. An ornate gate with rusticated pillars, finials, and decorative urns frames the noble courtyard in front of the villa, delineating the front garden with its regular design, featuring a central circular flowerbed used not only for decoration but also to direct carriage traffic in and out of the villa, alongside a small circular pond.
The Winery
Vine cultivation at the estate is documented as far back as 1028, although oral tradition suggests it was cultivated much earlier in this Arbizzano valley. The first major vineyard was planted by the Fattori family, who owned the estate from 1679 to 1769. It was Luigi and Cesare Trezza, who took over from 1868 to 1931, who significantly transformed the viticulture, expanding and refining the wine production. By then, the wines from this winery were already renowned. When Trezza bought the estate in 1898, only 30 out of 230 hectares were under vine; eight years later, this had increased to 85 hectares and would eventually reach 110. By the late 1883, the cellars held about 3,000 hectoliters of vintage wines plus several hundred hectoliters ready for bottling, having been aged in oak barrels for over three years.
The Amarone Classico della Valpolicella, dating back to 1936, was first produced in our villa’s cellars. In 1957, the Bertani family purchased and renovated the estate to make it the representative seat of their winery.
Since 2012, under the exclusive ownership of Giovanni and Guglielmo Bertani, the estate continues the family tradition of producing exceptional wines from the Tenuta Santa Maria.
