Wine & art, Italian excellences. The bond between Palazzo Te and Villa Della Torre is stronger

Villa Della Torre is the residence built by the Della Torre family, between the end of the fifteenth century and the beginning of the sixteenth century, and now owned by the Mastella Allegrini family. Palazzo Te, which belonged to the Gonzaga family, is unanimously acknowledged one of the finest examples of a Renaissance Mannerist suburban villa. The bond between the two architectural masterpieces has now been further strengthened, in the name of enhancing the artistic, agri-food and tourist heritage of Italy. There are two new features. The first one is the evolution of the Villa Della Torre (home of the Marilisa Allegrini Group winery) wine project that in the past few years has “dressed” two limited editions of its wines - Valpolicella Classico Superiore and Lugana - with Palazzo Te’s frescoes of the “Chamber of the Giants” and the “Chamber of Love and Psyche”. And today, a limited edition of Amarone - one of Valpolicella and Verona’s symbolic wines - dedicated to the “Chamber of the Sun and the Moon” has been added. The second new feature, instead, is the “Gioco del Ramarro”, an artistic board game (only 500 copies have been produced) that, following the structure of the Goose game, leads participants from one place to another, symbolically crossing through Palazzo Te and Villa Della Torre. All three wines and the Gioco del Ramarro will be sold, starting from the beginning of July, at Villa Della Torre and Palazzo Te and on online shops. Moreover, one of the main objectives of the partnership is to offer a new point of view while discovering the two monuments, by proposing a new itinerary for local tourism, which shortens the distances between Mantua and Verona.
The history of the two excellent architectural structures, the first one in Fumane (Verona), in the heart of Valpolicella Classica and the second one in Mantua, intertwined in the wake and name of Giulio Romano, are linked by many historical and artistic similarities, such as the perspective play of the spaces outside the facades, the use of rustication, the fish ponds, and references to the grotesque. In the year of the 500th anniversary of Palazzo Te, the narrative is beginning a new chapter in its history. “Renewing our partnership with Villa Della Torre and announcing a further development, in the year in which we celebrate the 500th anniversary of Palazzo Te”, Stefano Baia Curioni, director of Palazzo Te, said, “means recognizing the strength and beauty of a path we have undertaken together, joining forces and ideas for Italian culture’s wonderful heritage and beauty that we have the honor of sharing. The space that separates the hills of Valpolicella and the lakes of Mantua, interspersed with hills, vineyards, lakes, and rivers, is an unparalleled example of coexistence between the work of man and the force of nature. This landscape geographically lies between two excellent structures, Villa Della Torre and Palazzo Te, which are in front of land reflecting each other. The Game was created by Flaminia Veronesi. It consists of a painting highlighting the territory that connects the two points, through stories, characters from mythical references, monsters and beauties. A game in which one can dream and learn”. To present the project, a gala dinner was prepared by chef Carlo Cracco and set up in the Cortile d’Onore of Palazzo Te, accompanied by the tasting of all three wines. The Mastella Allegrini family enjoys a long standing friendship with chef Carlo Cracco, further confirmed by the fact that the Cracco Restaurant (Milan, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, 1 Michelin star) will be the first Italian restaurant to have the wines presented on its menu.
The second new feature is an artistic project conceived with the intent of linking the two places even more deeply. The artist, Flaminia Veronesi, was asked to create a board game that would recreate and symbolically cross Palazzo Te and Villa Della Torre. The artist created, “ Gioco del Ramarro” , (game of the lizard), which follows the structure of the Game of the Goose, leading participants from one place to another. The name of the game is intrinsically linked to the history of Palazzo Te. The Lizard appears repeatedly in the rooms of the Palace, and is the symbol chosen by Federico II Gonzaga to hide a secret message linked to the torments of love. “I believe the key word that best expresses the artwork, carried out together with the Palazzo Te Foundation, is wonder”, Caterina Sofia Mastella Allegrini, vice president of the Marilisa Allegrini Group, explained, “marveling at Giulio Romano and his School’s dynamic expression of the similarities and differences between the two Palaces is center front, and before that, a gift. Therefore, it was natural to ask Flaminia Veronesi, to whom we extend our heartfelt thanks for her dedication to the project, to imagine a game that would unite them and tell the story of the territory that connects them. It is an invitation to look at the geometry, symbols and allegories of these two extraordinary places through new eyes”.
“Villa Della Torre has always been a place of experimentation and storytelling. The Amarone dedicated to Palazzo Te, made with grapes from the Villa’s orchard, is a tribute to the shared feeling and vision of beauty that unites us”, Marilisa Allegrini, who in 2021 was named Cavaliere del Lavoro, commented, “Amarone is, due to its history, unique. It is a product derived from a long drying process that characterizes and tells the story of Valpolicella and its territory. It is a great joy for us to see how the fruit of the earth and winemaking knowledge can intertwine with the power of art. This project strengthens a special bond between art and wine, two universes that narrate our National identity all over the world”. Iconic wine that is deeply tied to the territory becomes a formidable communication tool, as it tells the story of art, architecture, history, the territory and its productive culture, harmoniously intertwining the material and immaterial cultural heritage.