Villa Madruzzo

Villa Madruzzo

Villa Madruzzo gets its name from the most famous and important dynasty of prince-bishops that the Trentino region has ever known: the Madruzzo family. Built just before the Council of Trento (1545-1563), it belonged to the prince-bishop Cristoforo Madruzzo, one of the leading figures of the period of the Council, who chose it as a summer residence where he entertained many illustrious people.Several decades later, the villa became the property of his nephew, Cardinal Ludovico Madruzzo who, in turn, bequeathed it to the prince-bishop Carlo Gaudenzio Madruzzo. Lastly, the villa belonged to his successor, Carlo Emanuele Madruzzo. Here the history of the villa takes on a shade of pink because the bishop fell in love with lady Claudia Particella who would resided in the villa next door. An underground secret passage was built that allowed the bishop to discretely meet with his ​​lover. The Pope refused Carlo Emanuele’s candidacy as cardinal because of his love affair. At his death (1658), also due to a nearby landslide, the building was abandoned and fell into disrepair.