Rovetta

The environments to have witnessed the work and lives of various generations of Fantoni sculptors.

The building
The demands of work and life overlapped within this building, defining the spaces and their uses, conceding very little to embellishments and refinements. The sober and well-preserved architecture frames the precious artistic heritage it has long guarded and which is now on display inside. With these unique characteristics, Casa Fantoni stands out as a precious testimony to the work and life of a typical 17th–18th-century Lombard art workshop.
The interior elevations of the Fantoni house overlook the large courtyard and the green orchard area (brolo). They are composite and lively, contrasting with the austere homogeneity of the external front on Via Fantoni. The L-shaped structure of the complex, clearly perceptible from the courtyard, is the result of the union of two previously separate bodies. The main wing originates from a primitive core with an almost square layout, which can be traced back to the tower-house design, with thick walls and an internal well.
From the reconstruction of this original body, which tradition says was razed almost to its foundations in 1378 during the battles between the local Guelphs and Ghibellines, and with the subsequent addition of the lateral parts (in the 15th and 17th centuries), the current building took shape, completed by the portico and loggias overhead.
On the façade, artefacts of different styles and eras have been utilised. These hint at prolonged construction activities, dictated by necessity of use and carried out in accordance with a building economy founded on restoration. Such features are typical of residential architecture with a strong rural tradition.
The vast arcade is important for life in the building. This covered extension of the courtyard gives shelter yet is also exposed to the air and sun. Utilisable in all seasons and climates, it is suited to domestic and work activities. Opening onto the arcade are the stables and vaulted covered fondachi (sìlter), used for the storage and processing of foodstuff and production ingredients. On the upper floors are the kitchens and living rooms that overlook spacious brickwork loggias. These originally had an all-wood structure and were used for domestic activities along with the drying of agricultural products. The smaller wing of the complex was an isolated rustic building, possibly used as a stable and barn. During the 18th century, it was converted for residential use. The portion of the building above the carriageway entrance and the connecting balcony were added. Lastly, the terrace with the portico below was constructed, concluding the building.

The museum
A museum is housed in the old rooms that witnessed the work and lives of several generations of Fantoni sculptors. It was officially established and regulated in 1968 with the establishment of the Fantoni Foundation. Indeed, its history goes back many centuries. As early as 1751, the historian Francesco Maria Tassi, after a visit to the house in Rovetta, testified to its existence. On this date, the sculpture workshop was still in full swing. In addition to the incredible number of design drawings and three-dimensional models in wood and terracotta made by the Fantonis for their workshop production, over the years an equally considerable art heritage was added to the Fantoni collection in Rovetta due to the masters’ constant need to keep up to date with the contemporary art scene, the relationships they entertained with its exponents and the collecting tendencies they demonstrated through the generations.
The work of studying, organising and expanding the collections undertaken by Lawyer Luigi Fantoni – eldest son of Donato Andrea, the last master of the workshop – proved to be fundamental. Luigi’s plan to also give legal form to the Collection was not followed through yet his work was instrumental in forming an awareness of the importance of the inherited heritage amongst his descendants and through to the present day. This awareness led his nephew Giuseppe to establish the Fantoni Foundation in 1968 and, with this initiative, also legally guaranteed the existence, opening and operation of the museum that the foundation runs.

The workshop
In the courtyard, sheltered by the porch and wooden canopies that ran along the sides, was the equipment for cutting timber and working stone and marble, which came already rough-hewn to size. In these sheltered, well-ventilated and illuminated spaces, workers in the initial stages of production operated under the guidance of the master painters who defined the structure and dimensions of the works. The glaziers would start polishing the parts here before completion on-site. The master sculptors and carvers worked in more secluded spaces on the upper floors, especially in the study and design phases. Painters also had to have reserved and protected places where they could colour their works, as did the gilders who were sometimes present in the workshop. The upper floors had promiscuous usage as workshop and domestic spaces. We find a reception room and the spacious kitchen, equipped with a fireplace and oven, a stone sink and numerous antique furnishings. This was the heart of the building, where the family group would gather and weave the complex web of human relationships. Work and living requirements combine in the building, defining the spaces and their use, conceding very little to embellishments and refinements. This sober and well-preserved architecture frames the precious artistic heritage it has long safeguarded. With these unique characteristics, Casa Fantoni stands out as a precious testimony to the work and life of a typical 17th–18th-century Lombard art workshop.