_HISTORY

Borgo Pignano’s present tranquillity belies a turbulent past. The crenelated ramparts, dating from the 13th century, have witnessed periods of plague, destruction, peace, prosperity, war, decadence and dissolution. 

In the late 1700s, Pignano was owned by the Incontri, wealthy wool merchants.

During the 19th century, the Marchese Ludovico Incontri turned Pignano into a palatial country seat.  

He planted formal gardens and expanded the villa and out-buildings.  Pignano was a borghetto, or hamlet, in which as many as 700 inhabitants looked after the Marchese’s family and estate.


Some of the detailed accounts from that period can be seen in the library.  The upheaval that shook Italy from the late 1800s until the Second World War weakened the Incontri’s grip. After Guido Incontri's death, his two sons quarrelled and the estate was divided. The estate has since been recombined and meticulously restored.