A bicycle was required. We could not move from place to place with only one, and whilst the public transport is reasonably priced, it would soon add up. A 'bicicletteria' was sourced in Stanghella that sells not only brand new bicycles but those of a vintage as well.
Stanghella sits on the highway between Rovigo and Monselice. A five minute train ride and we found ourselves at a ghost station.
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| It's been a whilse since the board at the train station was updated! |
A further five minutes and we had skirted the edge of Parco M.A. Centanini and were stood outside the gates of the dilapidated Villa Manfredini, Centanini. What a beautiful building. Behind rusted iron gates the villa spread out before us. Steps and a portico on each side of the central section are evidence of the development of the villa over the years. The windows were shuttered and the chimneys and tower rose into the summer sky. Juliet balconies stood empty. This was a villa worthy of a person of standing, or me - I could live there, indulging in romantic fantasies.
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| If I stand here long enough, can I claim it? |
The first record of Villa Manfredini-Centanini was in 1668 when Giovanni Battista and Giacomo Manfredini di Rovigo registered ownership of a house of brick with the local authority. Extensions and improvements had been made over the years, and the villa's last owner was M.A. Centanini who created the park opposite the villa. The park was created on six hectares and provides a wonderfully shaded place to rest from the heat of the Italian summer. The design of the park is evocative of the romantic garden model that was popular in the late nineteenth century. It is enclosed by mature trees and shrubs, whilst the interior space is organized into three areas: the first two, of circular form, are maintained with grass, the third is an irregularly shaped basin surrounded by trees and small man-made hills.
Stanghella is a quiet town with little to offer in terms of sight-seeing. However, it is lovely to stumble across the beautiful villas of Italy in such unassuming places. We are on the look-out for more.
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| Villa Manfredini-Centanini, Stanghella |
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