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The Marquis family of the Pasqualetti Ricci’s belongs to an old and noble lineage originating in the northern city of Ferrara and which has, amongst its ancestors, men of arms, men of the law and prelates. Michele was personal vicar to King Roberto of Napoli; in the 15th century, Leo governed the town of Ficarolo; and in 511, Zenone, the Lord of the Fortress, built the church of ‘Spirito Santo’ in Ferrara.
In the 17th century Luigi, who was the head of an army, came to Marche to assist Amandola in its fight against Montefortino. After winning the long war Luigi governed the town and built a fortress on top of the pre-Roman walls. His descendents occupied the conquered land, maintaining the estates and the ancient woodland.
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| Alessandra, the last to bear the family name, lives with her son Luigi in the ‘Villa di Caccia’, inside the Tenuta complex. Surrounded by age-old trees, the 17th century house has played host to many friends and acquaintances of the family through the ages, including the painter Luigi Fontana (1827-1908), a notable artist who loaned his work to the Vatican in Rome. Fontana painted the frescoes on the ceilings and walls of 26 rooms, and most notably, the red and blue bedroom which contains hunting scenes and symbolic images of war and peace. |
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