The History
THE PALACE AND ITS HISTORY
The ground floor and a part of the north wing of the building were inherited by my mother Laura, my brother Alessandro and me upon the death of our grandfather Imerio Martinelli in 1997. In the year 2000 we acquired the remaining part and… finally the building was entirely in our hands again! But I had to ascertain that the works carried out on the first floor had caused the destruction of the splendid floors in Lombardo terracotta tiles dating back to the eighteenth century. The remaining part of the building had been in a state of total abandonment since 1963, therefore a massive restoration and structural consolidation intervention was needed. In 2002 I obtained a three-year degree in architecture at the Milan Polytechnic and my thesis entitled “organization of conservative restoration” had as its subject the restoration of this building. In 2003 the restoration began and many secrets unearth and allowed us todiscover that, as often happens in Italian historical centers, the current structure is theresult of a slow evolution over the centuries.
Initially it was believed that the design of the entire building dates back to the 1700s, but
the area that now houses our wine cellar has been identified as the oldest part, dating
back to medieval times. It was originally a small building with a trapezoidal plan, on two
levels, with internal wooden structures, traces of which remain today only in the
photographs taken during the restoration. This part was most likely set on fire and
destroyed by the hand of Federico Barbarossa in 1169, during the battle that led to the
devastation of the Comacina Island. The re-enactment of this event takes place on June
24 of each year, with a fireworks display that attracts thousands of visitors.
On the ruins of this building, a 16-metre high watchtower was later built, which allowed the
signaling of the arrival of enemies. Once these surveillance posts were scattered
throughout the lake and today they are still visible only in some localities, such as the
nearby Torre di Rozzo or the Torre del Soccorso on the opposite shore of the Lario.
As the guardians of the tower once did, now you too can appreciate the breathtaking view
of the lake by staying in the Junior Suite called “La vista” or in the top floor apartment
called, “La torre”.
You will have a taste of the history of this building right from the moment you check-in, we
will welcome you in a wonderful room, adorned with one of the splendid fireplaces in the
building which, due to its shape, colours, materials, and dimensions, recalls some of the
fireplaces present in the palace of Versailles, in Paris, and dominated by a vault decorated
with ribs and surrounded by moldings which formerly contained a now lost fresco of which only traces have been found.
Breakfast will be served in the Giunone room, just looking up at the ceiling you will understand the origin of the name of the room and you will enjoy the incredible discovery I
made during the restoration of this area, under many layers of paint and smoke that settled over the years, a fresco appeared depicting a scene from Greek and Roman mythology: Juno and the cloud, which represents the birth of the Centaur. For me, this was the most fascinating surprise I had during the work. If you wish, I will be happy to reveal and tell you all the secrets and charm of this wonderful place in a visit with me!
