A house of great historical importance that originates from the late 17th century Renaissance era. The house was extended in 1863 by Virgilio Masini the military tribune of Parma and commander of the Constantine Order. Virgilio was a devoted religious man that dedicated his life to the Church. An original plaque above the swimming pool scribed in Latin, as well as an original portrait of Virgilio hanging in the kitchen dining room, commemorate his contributions to this beautiful villa.
In the 19th Century the villa became the Summer home of a wealthy family from Lucca, the Gianini's. The Gianini's still remain in the village today and in-fact, Marriano Gianini still lives next door.
The Gianini's were a devout Catholic family whose house was always open to travelling priests and religious missionaries. It was through one such priest that the Gianini's came into contact with a remarkable young lady named Gemma, whom they adopted into their already large family. Gemma would spend her Summers in the villa and most probably pray in the Chapel next to the reception, which has now been fully restored. She would also pray at the small local church at the end of the lane, where to this day a painting still hangs in commemoration of Santa Gemma.
In the 1940’s the villa was taken over by the Rossini family and used to house nuns during the war. Post war the villa became neglected and fell into a state of decay. Although the Chapel has been restored with religious affidavits collected around Italy, they are not original to the house. We have tried our utmost to preserve the spiritual feeling that resonates in this special part of the house.
The house was fully restored in 2020 including the the full refurbishment of the former servant quarters next door. The house was restored with a commitment to preserving its unique character and honouring its very special history. During the restoration we discovered original paintings and antiques in the attic that are now placed proudly as part of the luxury decor. It has been a project of passion, fascination and love. We hope that the house can be enjoyed by all. We are a multi-faith and eclectic family and welcome all creeds, colours, religious and non-religious.
The villa is a place to be enjoyed, whether for veneration, to taste local delights or to celebrate with family and friends. We renamed the house Santa Gemma as a testament to a remarkable young woman who touched so many hearts and typifies the generosity of spirit of the local people in this very special part of the world.
