Travelling along the provincial road SP87, at San Giovanni, you cannot fail to notice what is considered one of the most interesting and evocative residences in the Cremona’s countryside.

A visit to the villa and its beautiful park is therefore a must.

In addition to guided tours, the villa also hosts other activities such as events and educational activities.

A bit of history:
It was erected at the beginning of the 15th century in order to control the south-eastern territory of Cremona.
By about the middle of the same century, it lost its military purpose and became a lordly residence.
The county of San Giovanni in Croce was donated to the Carminati di Brambilla in 1485.
In 1492, Luigi Carminati di Brambilla married the noblewoman Cecilia Gallerani, mistress of Ludovico Sfoza, a woman of great charm and intelligence, a lover of literature, a poetess, an expert in Latin and a frequenter of intellectuals.
About Cecilia, the portrait painted by Leonardo Da Vinci should be remembered above all.
It is the famous 'Lady with an Ermine'^[*] considered one of Leonardo's most beautiful paintings.
The Carminati was followed by the Soresina-Vidoni family who made the most significant architectural changes.
After the Fascism, from 1945 the family abandoned the town and the building was no longer inhabited, resulting in inevitable decay.
In the early 2005, the property was purchased by the municipality of San Giovanni and renovation work began, making the villa and park once again accessible.

[*] oil on panel (54.8×40.3 cm, datable to 1488÷1490), currently exhibited in the Czartoryski Museum (Cracow).
Note: image no. 44 taken from Wikipedia

For more info:
www.villamedicidelvascello.it
wikipedia: villa Medici del Vascello
www.castellidelducato.it villaMedici del Vascello
wikipedia: dama con l'ermellino