Inseparable is the bond of the place with the figure of Aurelio Saffi, first Minister of the Interior, then Triumvir of the Roman Republic, one of the fathers of the republican movement. He lived in this villa from 1864 until 1890, the year of his death. Beside him was his wife, Giorgina Craufurd, whose presence is as discreet as it is strong, important, and incisive for the private and public affairs of her husband. Giorgina also lived in the villa until her death, which occurred in 1911. Often their close friend, Giuseppe Mazzini, was a guest, and significant relics of him are still preserved in various rooms (the beautiful portrait and the photo with a dedication to Nina, as Giorgina was called in the family), or curious items such as the nightshirt and slippers, testifying to an affectionate fellowship and frequent visits. Caterina Orazia (Kate) also lived in San Varano, a life spent in the shadow of her sister Giorgina and brother-in-law Aurelio, until being buried with them. Kate, a convinced Mazzinian and devoted to the Italian cause, held an unlimited admiration for Giuseppe Mazzini that perhaps bordered on love. Among the descendants, we remember Aurelio’s nephew, Aurelio Enrico, who spent much of the year at the villa. Graduated in literature, he was Commissioner for the Academy of S. Cecilia, founder and director with Vincenzo Cardarelli of the magazine “La Ronda”, friend of the painter Amerigo Bartoli Natinguerra (1890-1971), who often stayed in the villa and who painted the so-called ping pong room in trompe-l’oeil style. The values that permeated the Saffi family, in its members, seem to also shine through the residence’s environments, from the elegant but sober furniture, the numerous prints, including several Rosaspina, to the many volumes placed in bookshelves located in almost every room, as a testimony to a cultural and civic commitment that has remained unchanged through generations.
Information about Villa Saffi
Via Firenze, 164
47121 Forlì (Forlì-Cesena)
0543712659
servizio.pinacoteca.musei@cofo.it
Source: MIBACT
