The Roots of the Valmarana Family

The origins of the Valmarana family are very ancient: the earliest documents date back to 1174. We know that around the 14th century, the family tree split into three branches, one of which, San Faustino, is the branch that purchased the Villa previously owned by Bertolo in 1720 and is still its owner today.

 

Throughout the centuries, the Valmarana family has always been closely linked to art and culture. The famous architect Andrea Palladio, with the support of the Valmarana family, rebuilt the Basilica of Vicenza in 1561 and, five years later, designed the palace on Corso Fogazzaro for Leonardo Valmarana. Palladio is also credited with the splendid Valmarana Chapel in the crypt of the Church of Santa Corona and the Valmarana Loggia at Porta Castello.

Not only art, but also social commitment. The Valmarana family was one of the most influential families in Vicenza, with important ties to other distinguished families such as the Piovene, Fogazzaro, Roi, and Thiene. Men of culture and politics, they held prominent roles. Gaetano Valmarana (1803-1874) was the Podestà and Provincial Deputy; Giustino (1849-1873) was a member of the City Council and the Municipal Board; his son Angelo (1874-1915) was Mayor of the city, and his premature death caused widespread sorrow.

 

Giustino Valmarana (1898-1977), owner of the Foresteria of the Villa, was a Senator for the Christian Democratic Party from 1946 to 1963, Undersecretary of State, and a member of the European Parliament. He is also known for preventing, together with Minister Bottai, the transfer of the Villa’s frescoes to Paris, as Mussolini had intended. Angelo Valmarana (1925-2004), his son, was an important custodian of the Foresteria.

 

Tommaso Valmarana (1909-1991), owner of the Palazzina, was a great supporter of sports and engaged in social affairs. A notary in Vicenza, he founded the Blood Donors Association and presided over Calcio Vicenza, the Tennis Club, and the local CAI. His wife, Maria Sofia, lived her entire life in the Palazzina, taking care of it with dedication and passion.

Great Encounters

Villa Valmarana ai Nani has been, over the centuries, a cultural landmark for writers, artists, and scholars. Not only that, but in the last hundred years, the Villa has also attracted noble families from all over Europe, eager to admire the works of the Tiepolos.

 

he openness of the owners allowed Villa Valmarana to become a place of great charm and inspiration. J.W. Goethe, in his Tagebuch of September 24, 1786, praises the sublime style of Giambattista Tiepolo in the rooms of the Palazzina and recognizes the difference in the more natural style of Giandomenico Tiepolo in the Foresteria, being the first to sense the different hands behind these extraordinary works.

 

“Antonio Fogazzaro, husband of Rita Valmarana, also set his famous novel Piccolo Mondo Moderno in the rooms of the Palazzina. Guido Piovene, son of Stefania Valmarana, dedicated a magnificent introduction to Villa Valmarana in his work La metafisica dei sensi (1968).

Among those who frequented the Villa was also Goffredo Parise, who is said to have been inspired by Senator Giustino Valmarana for the protagonist of Il prete bello. The Villa houses a collection of signatures and photographs that testify to visits by royals, politicians, intellectuals, and artists such as the Queen Mother of England, King Albert II of Belgium with Queen Paola, the royals of the Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark, Albert Camus, Paul Morand, Truman Capote, Salvador Dalí, Peggy Guggenheim, Cesare Pavese, Ignazio Silone, Frank Sinatra, Cesare Zavattini, and Luchino Visconti.

 

These distinguished visitors confirm the Villa as a center of culture, art, and history that continues to fascinate and inspire.