The Story

Tenuta di Fassia is a historic estate located in the hills near Gubbio, in Umbria. The estate dates back to the 16th century and has been owned by many noble families of the time, including the Ruspoli Princes, as well as important industrial families of the twentieth century, among them the Borletti-Cosulich family, from whom the current owners are descended.

It was under Prince Ruspoli that the Villa and its gardens took their current form. In 1937, he commissioned architect Nello Baroni to renovate the main villa and the surrounding buildings, including a chapel, a guesthouse, the stables, and several stone farm outbuildings.

The gardens were designed by the renowned Italian landscape architect Pietro Porcinai, known for his innovative and modern approach to the design of some of the most beautiful gardens and parks in Italy and Europe. The design for the park at Villa Fassia featured long perspective views through the two entrances of the villa — the centuries-old cypress trees on one side, and the contours of the garden and the holm oak avenue leading to the entrance gate on the other. A harmonious and elegant landscape that blends with the architecture of the villa, complete with a water lily pond and various pathways lined with boxwood hedges. A park that instils a sense of calm and serenity, offering guests and visitors the opportunity to explore and appreciate the beauty of an early twentieth-century Italian-style garden.

The property has been carefully restored, maintained, and expanded over the years, with particular attention paid to preserving its historic character and architectural features. In the 1960s, three lakes were created to bring water to the fields and to all the farmhouses within the estate.
Today these three lakes serve as places for leisure and relaxation — an opportunity to linger in the tranquil and restful atmosphere of the estate, among woodlands and country lanes stretching for more than 9 km within the property, to enjoy nature and appreciate the importance of preserving the local ecosystem.
The Borletti Cosulich family commissioned architect Zanuso to design and build a school with a distinctive structure (door-windows, garden, vegetable plot, workshop) to allow the children of the tenant farmers — at a time when sharecropping was still in practice — to be educated using an experimental teaching model founded by the Italian educator Giuseppina Pizzigoni. With the Pizzigoni method, learning activities are grounded in concrete, hands-on experience that fosters the development of the child’s personality by encouraging contact with nature and the outside world in a state of continuous exploration.

Villa Fassia hosted, throughout the twentieth century, several protagonists of Italian history, invited by the owners of the time, Senator Borletti and Nella Cosulich. Among the notable guests were Enrico Mattei — born in nearby Acqualagna, famous for its truffles — Arturo Toscanini and his granddaughter Emanuela Castelbarco, the De Sabata family, the then Argentine President Arturo Frondizi during his visit to Gubbio in 1960, and Don Carlo Gnocchi — beatified and awarded the Grand Gold Medal of Honour by the City of Milan — who officiated the wedding between Elena Mancini Griffoli and Carlo Felice Musini in 1955. Thanks to its natural beauty and historic charm, the property is today a sought-after venue for events and celebrations. Over the years it has hosted prestigious weddings, including those of some of Europe’s most important royal families.

Today the estate is owned by Piero S. Musini and his twin children, Edoardo and Veronica, who continue to preserve its beauty and historic heritage. In the early 1990s, Piero founded Casa Sangam within the estate — now one of Italy’s most important holistic centres, and among the first in the country to welcome meditation groups and mindfulness practices. This awareness also informs the management of the agricultural side of the estate. Farming has a significant impact on the environment and groundwater. For this reason, for over 20 years the estate has promoted a form of agriculture that goes beyond organic — synergistic, simple, and natural, without the use of any chemical substances, fertilisers, or pesticides. Ancient varieties have been rediscovered, such as Senatore Cappelli wheat, Gentilrosso, and spelt, alternated with leguminous crops beneficial to bees such as vetch, sainfoin, and alfalfa — a sustainable organic approach that supports and promotes local and migratory wildlife, ensuring that the produce is wholesome and environmentally respectful.

Alongside organic farming, the estate manages its oak woodlands and fine timber forests, which represent an important source of biodiversity and natural beauty, helping to preserve the local ecosystem through responsible and sustainable forest management.

The Story

Tenuta di Fassia

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