On the slopes of the Cortona hill, in the locality of Catrosse, Villa Venuti is one of the most significant historic residences of the Valdichiana: an 18th-century estate with frescoed ceilings, a chapel, rural outbuildings, a historic garden and over 12 hectares of land, just a few minutes from the center of the Etruscan city.
THE LOCATION
Villa Venuti enjoys one of the most privileged and, at the same time, most sought-after positions in the entire Cortona hill area, with a wide and unobstructed panorama opening onto two horizons. On one side, beyond the expanses of olive groves, woods and rows of cypress trees rising up the slope, stands the city of Cortona: the profile of the historic village runs along the entire ridge, with ancient walls, stone houses, bell towers and large churches crowning the hill. On the other side, the view descends onto the estate's olive grove and opens without obstruction onto the entire Valdichiana, a plain dotted with casali, villages and rows of cypress trees stretching out to the hills and blue peaks on the horizon. It is a view that changes every hour of the day and which at sunset lights up with the warm colors of the Tuscan countryside.
THE HISTORY
The Venuti family is one of the most illustrious families of Cortona. In the 1700s, brothers Marcello (discoverer of Herculaneum), Filippo and Ridolfino Venuti were among the protagonists in the founding of the Etruscan Academy. The villa was transformed between 1726 and 1730 according to a project by Alessandro Galilei, architect to Cosimo III de' Medici, who also designed the garden with basins, small groves of holm oaks and hedges of boxwood and cypress. The expansion project by Karl Marcus Tuscher (1740) is responsible for the connecting body, the garden walls with scrolls and the monumental pillars of the gate. As early as 1732, the villa was described as "equipped with all its delights: fountains, gardens, wild areas and avenues".
THE INTERIORS
The heart of this residence is the hall frescoed by Vincenzo Torrigiani in 1746–47, featuring views of Venice, Bologna and Rome within painted architectural perspectives and still legible on the walls: 1747. This is followed by salons and rooms with painted friezes, ceilings decorated with panels and medallions, doors painted with cartouches and scrolls, faux marble frames, stucco overlays and terracotta floors. The villa is completed by an entrance on the ground floor opening onto the garden, a grand staircase, bedrooms and numerous views overing Cortona's hills and Valdichiana.
THE ESTATE
The complex includes 13 buildings for a total cadastral floor area of approximately 1,838 sqm:
•residential:the villa (historic core, main apartment, three-level residence with limonaia) and an independent apartment;
•storage and outbuildings:three blocks of storage rooms, warehouse with courtyard area, rural outbuildings and carriage house;
•the chapel of San Giuseppe;
•two buildings to be renovated:the millhouse and water tank.
THE PARK AND THE LANDS
The villa is surrounded by a historic garden enclosed by a perimeter wall with an arched gateway, pillars with stone vases, domestic pines, cedars and cypresses. Around it extend over 12 hectares of olive groves, vineyards, arable land and woodland, crossed by white roads and rows of cypress trees.
PROSPECTS
Due to its size, history and location, Villa Venuti is suitable for various projects: luxury hospitality and a resort spread between villas and outbuildings; a family residence with an annexe and own agricultural production; or a representative headquarters/study center or cultural hub. Intended use must be verified with relevant authorities.
Private negotiation. Private viewings are organized by appointment following an initial introductory interview and a confidential presentation of your investment profile.
For information:
Sabrina Borelli – Broker Owner, RE/MAX Gruppo Casa RE
Tel. +39 347 3353576 · ·
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