HISTORY OF THE PALACE

Palazzo Monti della Corte apperas today as the happy result of a series of modifications, extensions and embellishments of the ancient fief of the Federici della Corte family. Up to the Middle Ages, the village of Nigoline was located higher on the hill on the Monte Alto, where you can still find the beautiful church of St. Eufemia of the year one thousand, as well as the ruins of a castle.

The higher grounds were preferable because downhill life was made ??difficult both beacuse of the not yet reclaimed unhealthy swamps, and for reasons of defense. In those days where on the site of the mansion lay only a defensive tower. After the Middle Ages, the swamp reclaimed, and the defensive position of the upper village no longer necessary, the village center moved to the bottom of the hill. That’s where in the seventeenth century the della Corte family decided to build a sumptuous palace, suitable for receptions and a grand life in country-side. The grand staircase and the atrium with beautiful arches and stone columns date back to this phase.

Family history:Family of old local nobility, the della Corte come from Valcamonica above Lake Iseo, settled in Nigoline around the fifteenth century, were vassals to the court of Oldofredi Iseo, from which the name “de la Corte”(of the Court). The family of the Barons Monti, a native of Montichiari south of Brescia”, joined to that of the nobles della Corte in the late eighteenth century inherited the “feud” of Nigoline, thus was born the name Monti della Corte. The last Baron Monti della Corte was the Professor Alexander Augustus (1902-1975). Adventurous traveler and erudite scholar of history, politics and heraldry, participated in only eighteen years old company with Gabriele d’Annunzio in Fiume. In the late 30’s he took, Ethiopia, shipments of restoration and rediscovery of the castles of Gondar and the monumental complex of the Coptic churches of Lalibela underground. He was also a professor of law at Pavia and Pécs in Hungary. Despite having had a cosmopolitan and international, after his travels, his achievements and his many commitments always returned to his beloved Nigoline.

Alexander Augustus had two daughters, Beatrice and Chica (Maria Enrica), both with a strong sense for the changing times: Beatrice, the eldest, had a brilliant career in the way of contemporary art and international avant-garde. Today is the head of the Santa Maddalena Foundation, which she strongly supported and founded a refuge for writers and botanists about thirty kilometers south of Florence. The youngest, Chica, he devoted himself to revive the activities related to wine Palazzo Monti della Corte producing one of the finest wines of Franciacorta, the company was among the first to produce today Franciacorta. Beatrice was married to the famous writer Gregor von Rezzori central Europe and Chica, who unfortunately died very young in 1984, with the Count de Marchant et d’Dutch Thomas Ansembourg, by whom he had three children, Marie-José, Isabella and Alexander today’s custodians and inhabitants of the ancient and beloved home.