Villa Affaitati

In Grumello, in the province of Cremona, stands Villa Affaitati, a significant example of a sixteenth-century castellated residence. The territories of Mantua and Cremona, in fact, were devoid of natural reliefs that could act as a defense. Therefore, even the private residences were fortified with architectural devices typical of castles: inclined walls, watchtowers, moats and drawbridges. A plaque from 1597 testifies to the execution of the renovation works and the presence on site of an ancient Visconti castle. The villa takes its name from the Affaitati family to whom Charles V granted the fief of Grumello during the sixteenth century. The family was among the most illustrious of Cremona and dealt with the spice trade. Under the marquisate of Gian Carlo Affiatati, the family accumulated great wealth to the point of celebrating its magnificence with the construction of villas and noble residences. They can be considered the precursors of new figurative models typical of classicism and mannerism. The villa has remained almost intact to the present day to be the reference point for lovers of historical-cultural itineraries.