Papafava Family

Holidays in a Veneto Historical Estate

 

The history of a family and the ancient origins of Frassanelle

Frassanelle - a historical estate in Veneto – has a centuries-old relationship with the Papafava family, descents of the da Carrara family. The first documents that record the presence of the Papafava family in this historical estate In Veneto date back to the 13th century. These refer to the dotal property of Adelmonta de Maltraversi of the Counts Castelnuovo, bride of Giacomino da Carrara called Papafava. Other documents refer to the enfeoffed property in Rovolon belonging to Cattarina Schinelli, bride, at the end of the 14th century, of Albertino da Carrara of the Papafava branch.

The origins of Frassanelle Historical Estate in the Veneto

The Papafava dei Carraresi family can trace its origins to before the 11th century and much of the genealogical documentation is still kept in the family archives. The first documentation which recognizes the authority of a member of the Carrara family over the territory to the south-east of Padua dates from 970.

During the 12th and 13th centuries the da Carrara, or Carraresi, steadily became more powerful and influential, extending their domains across the region south of Padua. In 1114 the da Carrarasi were ennobled by Emperor Henry V. After the feudal reorganisation started by Federico Barbarossa, they became vassals of the empire as the deeds of ennoblement of 1184 and 1237 bear witness. During the 14th century the family reached the height of its power and splendour and on 25th July 1318 Giacomo I da Carrara was made perpetual General Captain, marking the end of the authority of the Comune and the beginning of the new Signory regime.

During their reign the Carrara were vailiant warriors, able rulers and patrons of the arts and letters. The silver four soldo coin they issued was one of the most widely accepted currency in Northen Italy. The family gave shelter to Petrarca who's important political work "De Republica bene aministrata" was dedicated to them.

The Carraresi wielded seigneurial power in Padua from 1318 to 1405, the year in which they were defeated by the Venetians. In that year, Francesco Novello da Carrara and two of his three sons were assassinated in the Venetian prisons. Teddea Ariosti, widow of Giacomo Papafava da Carrara, cousin and captain of Francesco Novello’s army, had great difficulty defending, for the three children who had not yet come of age, the historical estate in the Veneto from the wrath of the Venetians who were seizing all Carraresi properties. A woman of great perseverance, she managed to dispute the Carraresi origin of the properties in Rovolon since they came from her mother-in-law, Schinelli.

During your holidays in this Veneto historical estate, you can visit the most significant places of the Carraresi dominion. In spite of the devastation wreaked by the Venetians to cancel any trace of such powerful enemies from history, there are still today many monuments that testify to the grandeur of the Carraresi signory.

17th and 18th Centuries, the birth of our Veneto Historical Estate

With regard to the origin of Frassnelle Veneto historical estate, although we have certain knowledge of the existence of the Veneto Villa, the small chapel and the farm only since the 17th century, their present aspect dates back to 1601 for the farm and 1822 for the villa. In this year the two brothers Francesco and Alessandro Papafava, with the help of Canova, Angelica Kaufmann, Sir Thomas Lawrence and Giuseppe Jappelli, started the renovation of the Veneto historical estate. Alessandro’s design to rework the style of the old building and adapt the interiors resulted in the present aspect of the Veneto Villa.

In the 18th century the Veneto historical estate was subjected to more alterations: these were carried out by Alberto Papafava (1832-1929), Francesco’s son and a talented artist who was very sensitive to nature. He drained the marshlands to the south of the period residences and dug a lake of 3 hectares in size. His imagination and sensitivity also led to the creation, in the 1880s, of an artificial grotto, made with limestone excavated from the park, near the period residences, and it is inspired by a natural grotto which already existed in Frassanelle. A prerequisite element in any romantically inspired landscape.

The Veneto Historical estate Frassanelle, between the two world wars

During the First World War the Veneto historical estate of Frassanelle was placed at the disposal of the military commanders for the training of troops. Here the 52nd Field Artillery was founded and the presentation ceremony took place of the first formations of the "Army Assault Corps" who paraded bare-backed and aligned in squadrons before King Victor Emanuel III.

Thankfully, during the Second World War Frassanelle historical estate in the Veneto, was left out of the great tragedies of the war and became a lively centre of many activities. The Provincial Agrarian Co-operative set up the stockpiling of grain here in the large granaries. Some evacuated Paduan families moved to the farm, while the park was used by a motorised division of the German army to camouflage the military armaments.

Even the numerous family of the proprietors, Novello Papafava and Bianca Emo Capodilista, moved permanently to Frassanelle, initially living in the  Villa and then, when it was requisitioned by the Germans, in the mock church in front of the Villa. In those war years the Frassanelle community lived, together with the evacuees, moments of extraordinary solidarity. Countess Bianca played an important role in easing relations with the occupying military forces.

Holidays in a Veneto Historical Estate

Since 1973 the descendents of Novello and Bianca manage the whole Veneto historical estate together in order to avoid breaking up a property that has remained in the same family for more than eight centuries among too many heirs and to ensure that an historical estate in the Veneto is adapted to cater for modern needs. The buildings in the park are gradually being renovated and adapted in order to offer even the most exacting guest a peaceful holiday surrounded by a natural environment of rare beauty.