Villa Fanini - Gragnano

History itself has sketched the profile of Villa Fanini, historical estate surrounded by the green hills of Lucca. It is perfectly preserved in every part and enriched by wonderful frescos that let us remember the splendours of an extraordinary past. Villa Fanini extends over an area of 2400 sqm, and has a gorgeous cellar filled with durmast barrels.

According to eighteenth-century testimoniances, this villa was ideated by a french architect at the beginning of the seventeenth century. Possession of Arnolfini until the eighteenth century, in the nineteenth century passed through testacy to Ascanio Mansi, prime minister of the Dukedom of Lucca. The estate, used as summer residence and place of diplomatic meetings, thus knew its period of major magnificence.

In 1840, the palace and its monumental main avenue still preserved, along with the vineyards and the huge olive grove, passed under the property of Ascanio's son, Giovan Battista, and through him, dead without heirs, to his sister, Clelia in Burlamacchi. At the beginning of the last century the villa passed from Burlamacchi to Marchi and finally in 1983 to Ivano Fanini.

This villa and its apartments are perfectly preserved in their ancient splendour, with the vast park of over 16000 mq and its secular trees and meadows, among which we find one in English style, have been recently restored in order to renew all the luxury that today is showed during receptions, cerimonies and touristic activities of every sort.