History from the 1500s
Villa Raffaelli was built in 1582 on a medieval fortified structure. It was a country villa of a noble family from Lucca, the Raffaelli: jurists, bishops, tutors of the Duke of Modena. Here lived also the historian and writer Raffaello Raffaelli: with his wife, the marquise
Giulia Provenzali, proprio a Fosciandora trascorse gran parte della sua vita, in quanto appassionato ammiratore della Garfagnana. Lo stemma di famiglia dei Raffaelli dimostra le antiche origini cavalleresche: Caffarello sarebbe stato il capostipite della famiglia come scritto su un documento del 1228 della Cattedrale di Gubbio: il padre ghibellino fu esiliato ad Arezzo dove conobbe il sommo poeta Dante: forse il contatto con un “eretico” dei “Fedeli di Amore” e l’origine cavalleresca possono spiegare la complessità della simbologia araldica dello stemma di famiglia.
History from the 1800s
The Republic of Lucca lost its independence first under the French Empire then under the Austrian Empire: it became Duchy of Lucca and in 1847 it was annexed to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. The Duke Carlo Lodovico di Borbone was on excellent terms with the Marchesa Giulia and her husband Raffaello Raffaelli as evidenced by the correspondence with the Duke and the presence in the library of the villa of a book called de Canti per le “Auguste nozze di sua maestà Duca Carlo di Borbone e sua altezza reale la principessa Maria Teresa di Savoia”.
History from the 1900s to today
Villa Raffaelli was bought by an emigrant who had made a fortune in America: he was the fifth of 12 children. The family lived on the third floor of the villa, the so called “servants” floor, but the fortunes changed and from farmer he became owner. In 1978 the villa was sold to the doctor of the Municipality, Dr. Pio Fiori and currently belongs to his son
Dott. Enrico Fiori. Since then the villa has been renovated maintaining its original appearance.
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