Casa Gentili is a tipical Tuscan Villa located in a small country village, it’s distinctive elements are the twin staircase and stone window frames both visible in its facade; back in the XVII century buildings like this were usually named “casa da cittadino” as they were mainly used by the landowner, normally living in town, to manage the farm hands working in the country.
Investigations on the local archives
Stefano Tommaso Martini reports either first hand experiences or facts he got from his ancestors; both about lives of different member of the family, including the beautiful genealogy drawing of the Martini and the links with their predecessors living in Avane the Zucchetti. Above all he reports about enhancement done to the Villa along the XVIII century, including the double staircase or the glass windows and the vialone dei cipressi what once probably was the road to the villa from the front in opposition to the actual road leading to the villa from its side. Last but not the least information written by Tommaso Martini provides us with his personal viewpoint about life style and his love for the property.
The villa was donated by the Martini to the Pia Casa di Carità, a charity based in Pisa, when the family died out, according to the legacy by the priest Anton Domenico Martini. During the XIX century it was “borrowed” by the Frizzi family under condition to paying the charity 25 staia, the fixed annual amount in grain (approximately 460 Kg or 1014 pounds).
The villa was donated by the Martini to the Pia Casa di Carità, a charity based in Pisa, when the family died out, according to the legacy by the priest Anton Domenico Martini. During the XIX century it was “borrowed” by the Frizzi family under condition to paying the charity 25 staia, the fixed annual amount in grain (approximately 460 Kg or 1014 pounds).
The local historical archive Archivio di Stato di Pisa has provided a large quantity of documents useful to know about the families living in the villa in the past centuries.
One of the most exiting document popped up out of hundreds ancient papers was “il libro dei ricordi” written by Stefano Tommaso Martini, the last representative of that family to live in Avane.
Stefano Tommaso Martini reports either first hand experiences or facts he got from his ancestors; both about lives of different member of the family, including the beautiful genealogy drawing of the Martini and the links with their predecessors living in Avane the Zucchetti. Above all he reports about enhancement done to the Villa along the XVIII century, including the double staircase or the glass windows and the vialone dei cipressi what once probably was the road to the villa from the front in opposition to the actual road leading to the villa from its side. Last but not the least information written by Tommaso Martini provides us with his personal viewpoint about life style and his love for the property.
The villa was donated by the Martini to the Pia Casa di Carità, a charity based in Pisa, when the family died out, according to the legacy by the priest Anton Domenico Martini. During the XIX century it was “borrowed” by the Frizzi family under condition to paying the charity 25 staia, the fixed annual amount in grain (approximately 460 Kg or 1014 pounds).
The villa was donated by the Martini to the Pia Casa di Carità, a charity based in Pisa, when the family died out, according to the legacy by the priest Anton Domenico Martini. During the XIX century it was “borrowed” by the Frizzi family under condition to paying the charity 25 staia, the fixed annual amount in grain (approximately 460 Kg or 1014 pounds).
In 1911 the Gentili family bought the property from the Frizzi and subsequently in 1916 by a separate act removed the obligation to pay annual grain amount to the Pia casa di Carità, getting finally full ownership of the property.
Ancient documents often provide us with information about topology so that the area around the villa was usually named casa Zucchetti, than changed into casa Martini, and later into casa Frizzi, so to keep with that, its logic to name this Tuscan villa as casa Gentili right now.
Hopefully investigations on the property will keep on and more facts about people living in this Tuscan villa will come out from the past, providing us with more and more exciting information about people living in this property, currently part of our life.
So far, in order to celebrate Casa Gentili 100 anniversary (1911-2011) a short story of this Tuscan villa was published including more interesting facts from the past.
Ancient documents often provide us with information about topology so that the area around the villa was usually named casa Zucchetti, than changed into casa Martini, and later into casa Frizzi, so to keep with that, its logic to name this Tuscan villa as casa Gentili right now.
Hopefully investigations on the property will keep on and more facts about people living in this Tuscan villa will come out from the past, providing us with more and more exciting information about people living in this property, currently part of our life.
So far, in order to celebrate Casa Gentili 100 anniversary (1911-2011) a short story of this Tuscan villa was published including more interesting facts from the past.