Private castle
Perugia, Umbria
2007/2010

A villa-castle named by poet Gabriele D’Annunzio “Villa Mandoleto” towers above the countryside around Perugia from the top of a low hill only 10 minutes drive from Perugia with a stunning view onto the city, mount Subasio and Assisi.

With reference to the research conducted with the Public Record Office of Perugia, it is presumed that in 1872 a certain Mr. Gustavo Rosati son of Pierleone Rosati from Perugia sold the property, which was a castle at that time, to the Gallenga family. 

After the purchase of property, Romeo Gallenga and his wife, the English noblewoman Mary Montgomery Stuart, turned the palace into a Neo-Gothic villa–castle with details typical of English architecture. Under the instructions of the new owners, the works were carried out by architect Biscarini, the most highly-rated in Perugia at that time. The newly appointed architect cooperated with the main artists of Perugia at that time (who worked in the villa for about twenty years), among whom we will only cite the most famous ones: Matteo Tassi (painter who frescoed the theatre of Urbino), Earl Lemmo Rossi – Scotti (painter), Prof. Francesco Moretti, Guglielmo Gualaccini, Diomede Catalucci, sculptors Francesco Biscarini, Raffaele Angeletti and Giuseppe Frenguelli.

This project concerned the restoration of the building by using natural materials, the restoration of many frescoes and stuccowork as well as the restoration of the Stables and the Park.