Palazzo Monti della Corte, Franciacorta

Nestled in the heart of Franciacorta, surrounded by lush vineyards and rolling hills, Palazzo Monti della Corte has been hosting sumptuous receptions for family guests in an elegant and romantic atmosphere for over four centuries. Undisputedly a focal point representing the culture and politics of this region, Palazzo Monti della Corte is the ideal setting for all kinds of different events, from weddings to gala dinners, and from corporate meetings to concerts and exhibitions. Its striking architecture and immense grounds make it the perfect place to welcome guests to enjoy this impressive juxtaposition of history, art and nature. The Palazzo features spacious and meticulously designed rooms which all display elegant furnishings and period decorative elements.

Open during the summer and spring months, this prized residence offers visitors the opportunity of enjoying all the marvels of its sublime English-landscaped garden and creates an intimate and refined atmosphere, together with its adjoining Sarnico stone atrium. Every springtime, the façade of the Palazzo is transformed by the arrival of fragrant jasmine. The grand seventeenth-century staircase, also made of Sarnico stone, lends itself perfectly to floral arrangements and stunning photographic opportunities as it conducts guests to the building’s two reception halls.

The gallery, adorned with gilded mirrors, stretches right along the whole length of the Palazzo and features large windows overlooking the garden. Halfway down the gallery is the Blue Room with its distinctive stucco cornices in the vaults and a majestic fireplace. If both spaces are used, this ‘Piano Nobile’ floor can accommodate up to 120-130 seated guests.

The Red Room, meanwhile, is a large dining room featuring a majestic black marble fireplace from Belgium and an enormous Murano chandelier. The Atrium and the Red Room are the coolest areas of the residence during the warmer months and can also shelter guests should the weather be inclement, offering a perfect alternative to an aperitif in the garden.

The immense grounds are characterised by a centuries-old English landscaped garden with immaculately-tended gravel paths and lush flower beds, bordered by the Monti della Corte family vineyard, which is ideal as a photographic backdrop. The front of the Palazzo’s façade, which is covered with wisteria, Canadian vine and jasmine is the most suitable place to welcome guests, and the gardens are in fact the ideal place to greet them as they arrive and offer them an aperitif. The car park is situated opposite the entrance and directly overlooks the garden.

The history of Palazzo Monti della Corte
The edifice in its present form dates back to the 1600s, but traces have been found of even earlier constructions. The original design was very enclosed and there were few entrances, an indication of the probable climate of fear existing at the time. Rodolengo Della Corte, the last member of the family, married Flaminia Monti in the early 1700s, but died childless. The entire estate was inherited by one of the Montis and has been called Monti Della Corte ever since. Over the doorway you can still see the coats of arms representing the Monti, Della Corte, Federici and Peroni families, all of whom were closely related and had strong connections together. The most famous family member is Alessandro Monti. Born in 1818, he was educated in Vienna where he joined the Austrian army as an officer. In 1848 he left the army and sided with the Italian "insurgents". He was sent to Hungary, where he become a hero of the revolution. His wife Sara Willshire, an Englishwoman, redesigned the English garden. A grand staircase leads up to the gallery, where paintings of the family are kept on display. Between the ground and second floors is a small mezzanine, where the servants used to live and work. In 1923, the private chapel of St. Cornelius, a third-century martyr who was believed to be an ancestor of the Della Corte family, was opened. The architectural style used is the classical style of the 1700s. It is thought that there may have been some other chapel on the site previously. A signature of Titus Speri is still preserved on one of the walls in the library.

The Palazzo Monti Della Corte as it stands today dates from the 1600s, but there was already a frescoed chapel which also served as the parish church here in the 14th and 15th centuries dedicated to S. Martino (patron saint of Nigoline), from at least 1532 until the new church was built just across the street between 1578 and 1619. It was inaugurated in 1620, although the façade was built in 1828 and was it blessed in 1912 by Monseigneur Geremia Bonomelli. The name "Della Corte" most probably stands for "De Curte Isei", as recorded in an ancient document, which suggests it was a branch of the Oldofredi family from Iseo. The Monti family came to Nigoline in the last century and hosted dinners and salons in their home including some of the foremost Brescian and Italian intellectuals and politicians, such as Cesare Arici, Rodolfo Vantini, the Ugoni brothers, Aleardi and Ugo Foscolo, to name but a few. Tito Speri also came to stay here in 1849 following on from the "Ten Days of Brescia" revolt and prior to his being condemned to death by hanging at the Belfiore gallows in Mantua. Alessandro Monti and his brother, 18-year-old Flaminio, also fought alongside him during that heroic period.

Another well-known personality was Geremia Bonomelli from Nigoline (later bishop of Cremona), who was taught the history of Italy here and was schooled in some of its leading ideas. The enthusiasm generated in the Franciacorta area and within these walls for the accomplishments achieved by the Expedition of the Thousand (evidenced by the construction in Iseo of Italy's first ever monument dedicated to Garibaldi) was widely shared, along with the cultural, political and ideological tensions that led to the unification of Italy. Today the property belongs to the D'Ansembourg family.

Facilities and services at the Palazzo della Corte in Corte Franca
Palazzo Monti della Corte only hosts one event at a time on an exclusive basis. The property can be hired out for the organization of a number of different types of events. There is no restaurant service, but it is equipped with in-house kitchens and provides staff to manage the parking arrangements and room cleaning, as well as benefitting from an established network of collaborators and suppliers. The available indoor spaces allow for receptions of up to 130 people: the gallery has seating for 90-95 people and the connecting Blue Room seats an additional 35-40 people. The following time constraints apply: music both inside and outside the building must cease by midnight. However, guests can continue to enjoy the night atmosphere until 1 a.m.

Places of interest nearby
Montisola, Lake Iseo, Torbiere Nature Reserve, Monastery of San Pietro in Lamosa in Provaglio d'Iseo, Church of Sant'Eufemia in Nigoline, Berlucchi Winery, Bersi Serlini Winery, Ferghettina Winery, Monzio Compagnoni Winery.