FAI Spring Days – Villa Clementina

FAI Spring Days at Villa Clementina

Every spring, the FAI – Fondo Ambiente Italiano opens hundreds of normally closed or little-known places to the public throughout Italy. In the Municipality of Formigine, in the province of Modena (Emilia-Romagna), the FAI Modena Delegation guides visitors to discover Villa Clementina, in the hamlet of Magreta, one of the best-preserved noble residences in the Modena area.

Located on Via Fossa, the villa owes its charm to the exceptional integrity of its original spaces: a quadrangular manor house on two floors, crowned by a belvedere and flanked by rustic buildings, immersed in a double walled Italian garden extending north and south of the building.

From Casino dei Spezzani to Mauro Forghieri

The villa's history spans centuries of events in Modena. Built at the beginning of the 18th century as the Casino dei Spezzani by Duke's captain and engineer Giuseppe Spezzani (1705-1774), it later became the residence of two mayors of Formigine: Giuseppe Spezzani, mayor from 1871 to 1875, and Attilio Cionini, mayor from 1905 to 1914. It was in those years that the vault of the main floor hall was frescoed by Evaristo Cappelli for the wedding of Clementina Spezzani and Francesco Carbonieri.

In the 20th century, the residence remained tied to a single hereditary line until engineer Mauro Forghieri, a famous protagonist of Ferrari's successes, who was its last historic owner. It was he who gave the villa its current name, in honor of the refined Clementina who had carefully maintained the Italian gardens.

What to Visit

The visit route leads through the historic halls with frescoed ceilings, works left by artists such as Fermo Forti and Evaristo Cappelli, and the two walled gardens that frame the building. An itinerary that tells together the Este history of the territory and the link with the Modena Motor Valley, of which Forghieri was one of the great protagonists.

Part of a National Campaign

The opening of Villa Clementina is part of the FAI Spring Days, the major national campaign that involves dozens of sites in Emilia-Romagna, including churches, palaces, villas, castles, and libraries. In the Modena area, alongside Formigine, other local treasures are opened, in a weekend dedicated to rediscovering lesser-known heritage.

• Where: Villa Clementina, Via Fossa 55, Magreta, Formigine (MO)
• Organizer: FAI Modena Delegation
• Access: visits with free contribution, to support FAI
• Context: National campaign FAI Spring Days

A visit to Villa Clementina is an opportunity to discover, accompanied by FAI volunteers, a fascinating chapter in the history of Formigine and the Modena plain, amidst noble residences, Italian gardens, and the great tradition of engines.