Our Story
This exceptional 600 sqm villa is set in a privileged hillside position overlooking the enchanting “Little Silent Valley,” a name first given by its most distinguished original owner, renowned 19th-century Italian author Antonio Fogazzaro. The original family residence once stood on this historic site before being tragically destroyed during World War II.
In 1952, the present owners, the Ceschi a Santa Croce family—direct descendants of the Fogazzaro family, constructed the present villa, designed by renowned Italian architect Francesco Gnecchi Ruscone, faithfully reviving the refined atmosphere and cultural elegance that once defined this extraordinary location. Over the decades, it has continued to welcome a discreet circle of illustrious guests and creative figures, including Cecil Beaton, Prince Michael of Kent, Joseph Losey, Natalie Wood, Jack Palance, Albert Finney, Geza Anda, Rudolf Nureyev and Salvador Dali, and many others drawn to its unique sense of place and timeless sophistication.
“It was the hour that stirs the heart... when distant memories and ghosts arise, softening the soul and making it sigh in silence.”
Antonio Fogazzaro
Antonio Fogazzaro was an influential Italian novelist, poet, and essayist who played a major role in late 19th- and early 20th-century Italian literature. Born in Vicenza on 25 March 1842, he is often regarded as the most important Italian novelist after Alessandro Manzoni. Today, he is remembered chiefly for “Piccolo Mondo Antico”, The Little World of the Past, which remains a classic of Italian literature and has been adapted for film and television, as well as for his courageous attempt to reconcile faith with the intellectual challenges of the modern age.
The villa is named in honour of the legacy of Fogazzaro by his descendants, and after the pebbled via San Bastiano where it is located. It was built by the Ceschi a Santa Croce family, descendants of the novelist, on the ruins of the principal residence of their ancestor, destroyed during WW2, with the intent of reflecting both its heritage and its unique identity.
Created as a place of tranquillity and hospitality, the villa continues a family tradition of welcoming guests and sharing the beauty, culture, and history of this special corner of Italy: a perfect place to start writing your first novel whilst experiencing "la dolce vita" by the pool or in front of a mesmerising sunset.
Villa San Bastiano Fogazzaro proudly preserves its authentic direct connection to Antonio Fogazzaro and offers guests the opportunity to experience a residence inspired by the literary and cultural legacy of the renowned Italian author.