Welcome to Casa Turchetti
In the Alta Lunigiana, at 485m above sea level in the ancient village of Cattognano, Comano (MS), there is this ancient residence which was built on the foundations of a fortification with a tower, dating back to the Middle Ages. In 2000 the house was completely renovated to offer all the comforts.
Since 2013, the structure has hosted the Agriturismo part (rooms and restaurant) of the azienda Agricola Boschetti Alessia.
Where you can find us?
Toscana-Lunigiana-Comano
25 minutes by car from the exit (AULLA) of the A15 (E31) motorway towards Passo Del Lagastrello, in Cattognano, Comano – Massa-Carrara
One hour from Pisa airport
2h30ʹ from Bologna airport
1h40ʹ from Genoa airport
h]ps://maps.google.com/?q=44.298767,10.080
Brief history of the House and the Turchetti family
This ancient residence was built on the foundations of a fortification with a tower, dating back to the Middle Ages, using the stones that were in place and which partly belonged to what must have been a small castle, in fact this part of the Borgo of Cattognano was defined, until the 60s: at the castle.
The house was built in successive phases, as family and agricultural needs increased. The oldest part is the one built near the courtyard and the curved wall which was probably built using the foundations of what must have been the tower. The courtyard, where a fireplace has been added today, was originally an open threshing floor; the barns above were built later, leading to the covering of the farmyard itself. The house continued to extend towards the valley, increasing the space for the family on the top floor and with the function of cellar, stables and rooms used for the conservation of agricultural products and the tools necessary for managing the farm, on the lower floors.
The last part of the house to be built is the staircase that goes up next to the Oratory and the terrace that overlooks the valley, with the stone arches that support it.
The Oratory was consecrated in 1720 and its construction certainly preceded that of the last part of the house, the narrow passage between the staircase and the oratory itself is the consequence.
Casa Turchetti takes its name from the family of the same name which has been present in Cattognano since the 14th century. A certain Captain Turchetti of Cattognano in reference to the events of the nearby Varano disputed between the Malaspina and the Este families.
In the 16th century, Carolus Dei Gratia Archidux Austriae granted Camillo Turchetti, doctor of canon and civil law and his brothers, the rank of noble with the relevant insignia described in the document conferring the title.
Another Turchetti, Dr. Odoardo, member of the Florentine Medical-Physical Society, member of the Tuscan Parliament, was a brotherly friend of Giuseppe Garibaldi whom he treated in Monsummano in 1867. The hero of two worlds expressed his gratitude to Dr. Odoardo Turchetti by writing him an affectionate letter where he defined him his honorary doctor and giving him one of his embroidered hats. Both the letter and the hat are preserved by the current Turchetti descendants. Odoardo Turchetti in 1872, still in Monsummano, became friends with Francesco Kossuth, hero of Hungarian independence and of the insurgent Giorgio Castriota Skanderberg, descendant of the kings of Epirus and Albania who gave him the hereditary Title of Baron of Tessaglia.
Giuseppina Turchetti, widow of Vairo, was the last Turchetti to live part of her life in Cattognano. A beautiful woman respected by all, she raised her four daughters without remarrying. During the Second World War, with her daughters she did hes utmost to help fleeing soldiers and partisans, hiding them in the cavity between the stone vaults of the Oratory and the roof above.
In the early 2000s, the descendants of the Turchetti family began the restoration of the main building and the Oratory, to create the Agriturismo which is currently managed by the Boschetti family.