We believe in the value of ancient tradition to help create a flourishing and sustainable life in today’s world, and therefore a better future. We believe in innovation and progress. We believe in the power of beauty, art, nature to elevate the human spirit and stimulate the mind. We believe that a life of balance is possible, that our end purpose is to live in harmony with our own body, mind and spirit, therefore with Nature itself.
Our Mission
Our mission is to preserve the magic of our home, by continuously renewing our enthusiasm for its rich history and striving to innovate in the spirit of our family’s tradition. A fundamental part of our goal is to be able to share our passion for this land and its way of life with a global community of like-minded individuals, providing a platform to foster personal and therefore collective growth.
History
The Villa di Geggiano has been the home of our family since 1527. Originally built in the 14th Century as a farmhouse, it was transformed into a magnificent Villa with a private chapel and garden in 1768 when Anton Domenico Bianchi Bandinelli married Cecilia Chigi Zondadari. The coupled lived in the Villa throughout their marriage and in 1790, oversaw the decoration by Austrian Painter Ignazio Moder of the today-iconic entrance gallery, with frescoes representing the twelve months of the year. An almost unique case among private residencies in Italy, the Villa still maintains to this day several rooms with the original XVIII furniture in Veneziano Rustico style and incredibly preserved antique French wallpaper and fabrics.
The Italian-Style Garden, surrounded by a high wall crowned with terracotta vases and statues, was also designed in 1768. The Piazzone, laid out parallel to the front of the Villa, is composed of lawns edged with low box hedges and ending at its southern side with the Teatro di Verzura. This raised open-air theatre is surrounded by tall laurel hedges and consists of a proscenium made up of twin arches, surmounted by pediments holding the crests of the Bianchi Bandinelli and Chigi Zondadari families. The niches of its arches contain statues of Tragedy and Comedy, by Maltese sculptor Bosio. Through a gate in the encircling walls of the main garden, one can access the Pomario, the ornamental vegetables garden planted with a mixture of flowerbeds, vegetables and fruit trees, which contains topiary and a terrace fish pond with a magnificent view over the valley and nearby Siena.
The Family
A family of ancient aristocracy in Siena, the Bianchi Bandinelli’s count among their notable forebears Pope Alexander III – who famously defeated Emperor Frederic Barbarossa in the Battle of Legnano – and renown archaeologist and art historian Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli. The history of the Family and that of Geggiano are intrinsically connected to the arts and cultural production. Vittorio Alfieri – the XVIII century dramatist and poet considered to be the father of Italian tragedy – used to write his plays here and rehearse them on the Teatrino during his many stays at the Villa as a friend of the Family. Later on, during the first decades of the XX century, artists and intellectuals such as poets Eugenio Montale, Sibilla Aleramo and Sandro Penna and painter Renato Guttuso stayed in Geggiano as guests of Ranuccio. Today, the Estate is managed by Andrea and Alessandro Boscu Bianchi Bandinelli, together with Andrea’s son Gregorio and daughter Bianca.
