“I could live here” Leonora sighs as she enters Casa Lanzarotti to take me to the hospital. Had she been a farmer in the Mezzadria Era, she certainly could have. But as was the case with most sharecropping tenants, she probably would have lived in the loft, above the stables, with several other families. Her rent for these quarters would have been half the farm’s yield.
Italy abolished mezzadria after the Second World War. Thereafter, the landlords were required to pay farmers in currency. As a consequence, many rich-in-property owners parceled off their land to generate cash. This was the case in the Lanzarotti estate.
Iris and Gian-Luca purchased the decaying farm house and the considerably smaller surrounding land in 1990. Fortunately, the home had not been “modernized”. What remained was original and our new owners would work for nearly a decade returning the structure into a faithfully restored Casa Lanzarotti.
It took Gian-Luca five years to merely recreate authentic windows. Duplicating the original construction of the 1800’s in 1990’s, involved milling lumber from local chestnut trees, drying the wood for three years, and hand manufacturing each window frame for the following two years.
The year that Elvis lived here, Casa Lanzarotti was enclosed in plastic tarps. The boys woke up on winter mornings to find their sleeping bags covered in ice. Today, Casa Lanzarotti is sound and cordially welcomes guests throughout the year. Thanks to the hosts, the content visitors feel at home.
Further up the street, Boris invites Sarah, Maria and me to visit. “I could live here” I sighed on entering his dwelling. My recluse friend has created a beautiful home for study and meditation. The feeling of peace permeates the open great-room. Clean lines of Asian and Tibetan art compliment the warmth of the Italian villa. We’re served tea and homemade fruit tart in front of a modern fire chimney. Wrapped in a mohair African blanket on a black leather couch, I sit with my leg elevated, Sarah draws, and Maria sings. Thanks to our host, we - the content visitors - feel at home.
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