{"id":13703,"date":"2025-11-05T14:56:43","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T13:56:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/?p=13703"},"modified":"2025-12-01T15:16:30","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T14:16:30","slug":"i-live-in-my-memories-a-remarkable-return-to-villa-rossa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/2025\/11\/05\/i-live-in-my-memories-a-remarkable-return-to-villa-rossa\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cI Live in My Memories\u201d: A Remarkable Return to Villa Rossa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Visita Guerrini\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NDQve7y4SpU?list=PLxhSsTlx8E5BnLzJD7PRcAeJHhyeurxtd\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Last spring, Syracuse Florence welcomed a visitor whose presence bridged centuries of history and affection. Licia Guerrini D\u2019Ambrosio, daughter-in-law of Giovanni Guerrini\u2014the devoted majordomo to Countess Bona Gigliucci\u2014returned to the Villa Rossa for the first time in over four decades. Her visit, guided by Director Sasha Perugini, was deeply emotional, a homecoming steeped in memory and legacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"890\" data-id=\"13705\" src=\"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0354-1024x890.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13705\" srcset=\"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0354-1024x890.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0354-300x261.jpg 300w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0354-768x667.jpg 768w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0354-1536x1335.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0354-2048x1780.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">At the Gigliucci&#8217;s home in Fermo, painted by Countess Bona<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"823\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"13704\" src=\"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0356-823x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13704\" srcset=\"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0356-823x1024.jpg 823w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0356-241x300.jpg 241w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0356-768x956.jpg 768w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0356-1234x1536.jpg 1234w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0356-1645x2048.jpg 1645w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0356.jpg 1940w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 823px) 100vw, 823px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A self-portrait of Countess Bona<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI live in my memories,\u201d Licia began, seated in her Florence home surrounded by paintings by the Countess herself. Before she returned to visit the Villa Rossa, we visited her and her daughter Simona at home. Licia&#8217;s story unfolded like a tapestry, woven with love, loyalty, and the quiet dignity of a life lived in service and kinship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Villa Rossa, built in 1892 by Countess Bona\u2019s father Mario, was more than a residence\u2014it was a sanctuary of upbringing and tradition. Licia\u2019s three children grew up playing in its gardens every Sunday, embraced by the Countess as if they were her own. Her husband Paolo was just two months old when his parents, Giovanni and Lea Guerrini, moved into the mezzanine apartment of the villa. Giovanni, affectionately known as \u201cBabbo Nanni,\u201d served the Countess for 58 years, managing staff, training Syracuse caf\u00e9 workers, and overseeing the gardener\u2014Sergio Landi\u2019s father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"685\" src=\"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0352-1024x685.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13706\" srcset=\"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0352-1024x685.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0352-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0352-768x514.jpg 768w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0352-1536x1028.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0352.jpg 1766w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Countess Bona&#8217;s majordomo Giovanni Guerrini with his wife Lea, who was the Gigliucci family&#8217;s cook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Room 35, now a classroom, once echoed with the brushstrokes of Bona\u2019s paintings. \u201cHow marvelous!\u201d Licia exclaimed upon learning of its new purpose. The transformation of the villa into an academic haven did not erase its soul\u2014it enriched it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prompted by a newspaper article about Daniel D\u2019Aniello\u2019s generous $10 million donation to Syracuse Florence, Licia felt compelled to return. Her visit revealed layers of history: the original caf\u00e9 space was once the servant\u2019s kitchen, and during WWII, an English commander lived in an apartment in the area of our new caf\u00e9, helping protect Allied soldiers. The villa was spared from bombing, a testament to its role in resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Licia\u2019s recollections painted a vivid portrait of the Gigliucci family. Summers in Fermo, a house with views from mountains to sea, and the heartbreak of losing it after Bona\u2019s death due to financial mismanagement. Despite wealth, the family lived simply\u2014reflected in the modest tombs of Count Mario and Edith Mosley, restored by Syracuse Florence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bona\u2019s affection for the Guerrini family ran deep. She was godmother to Licia\u2019s daughter Simona, attended her baptism, and often sent her driver Guido to take the family to the beach. Giovanni, ever meticulous, ensured every piece of silver destined for England was accounted for\u2014\u201cnot even a teaspoon could be missing,\u201d Licia laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bona&#8217;s brother Donatello (&#8220;Conte Nello&#8221;) was a witness at Licia and Paolo&#8217;s wedding in 1961. He read a moving letter dedicated to them at the wedding banquet, whose guests included the Countess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"738\" data-id=\"13708\" src=\"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0345-1024x738.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13708\" srcset=\"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0345-1024x738.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0345-300x216.jpg 300w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0345-768x553.jpg 768w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0345-1536x1107.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0345-2048x1475.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Donatello Giugliucci witnessing the marriage of Paolo and Licia Guerrini<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"784\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"13709\" src=\"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0348-784x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13709\" srcset=\"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0348-784x1024.jpg 784w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0348-230x300.jpg 230w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0348-768x1003.jpg 768w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0348-1176x1536.jpg 1176w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0348-1567x2048.jpg 1567w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0348.jpg 1934w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 784px) 100vw, 784px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The letter Donatello read at the wedding<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"725\" data-id=\"13710\" src=\"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0350-1024x725.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13710\" srcset=\"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0350-1024x725.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0350-300x212.jpg 300w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0350-768x543.jpg 768w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0350-1536x1087.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0350-2048x1449.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A toast with Countess Bona<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"737\" data-id=\"13707\" src=\"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0351-1024x737.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0351-1024x737.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0351-300x216.jpg 300w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0351-768x553.jpg 768w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0351-1536x1106.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG_0351-2048x1474.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sisters Nerina and Bona Gigliucci, second and third from the right<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The villa was a place of refinement and warmth. Sunday lunches were sacred: the family dined at noon, and Giovanni would change into his white jacket, gloves, and tie to serve Bona at 1 p.m. Licia recalled helping the Countess in her final years, keeping her company, walking with her, and being by her side when she passed away in her nightgown. \u201cThree is a perfect number,\u201d Bona had said when Licia told her she was expecting her third child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even today, Licia and her children visit Bona\u2019s grave at the Cimitero delle Porte Sante, just below San Miniato. Her connection to the villa and its people remains unbroken. She showed us cherished items from the Signorina\u2019s living room\u2014a lamp, a chair, a table\u2014and books, including Count Mario\u2019s father&#8217;s spiritual testament, a copy of which is now preserved in the Syracuse archives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Villa Rossa has nurtured remarkable lives. Licia spoke of a boy who lived in the villa in the apartment once occupied by the British commander. After losing his mom at a young age he was raised alongside Paolo and went on to a successful career at Nuovo Pignone. \u201cSome singular people came out of this villa,\u201d she said, her voice full of pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-4 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"512\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"13716\" src=\"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG-20251030-WA0001-512x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13716\" srcset=\"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG-20251030-WA0001-512x1024.jpg 512w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG-20251030-WA0001-150x300.jpg 150w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG-20251030-WA0001-768x1536.jpg 768w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG-20251030-WA0001.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"512\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"13713\" src=\"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG-20251030-WA0000-512x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13713\" srcset=\"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG-20251030-WA0000-512x1024.jpg 512w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG-20251030-WA0000-150x300.jpg 150w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG-20251030-WA0000-768x1536.jpg 768w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG-20251030-WA0000.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"13714\" src=\"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG-20250513-WA0003-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13714\" srcset=\"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG-20250513-WA0003-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG-20250513-WA0003-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG-20250513-WA0003-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG-20250513-WA0003.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"13715\" src=\"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG-20250513-WA0000-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13715\" srcset=\"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG-20250513-WA0000-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG-20250513-WA0000-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG-20250513-WA0000-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/11\/IMG-20250513-WA0000.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Licia D&#8217;Ambrosio Guerrini (right) with Director Perugini (center) and her daughter Simona (left)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As Licia walked through the halls of Villa Rossa once more, memories flooded back. The walnut dining room, now a classroom, the offices where Donatello once lived, and the echoes of a family that shaped her life. Her visit was not just a return\u2014it was a tribute to a legacy of love, loyalty, and the quiet grace of lives intertwined with history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Video by Francesco Guazzelli<br \/>Subtitles and text by Michelle Tarnopolsky<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last spring, Syracuse Florence welcomed a visitor whose presence bridged centuries of history and affection. Licia Guerrini D\u2019Ambrosio, daughter-in-law of Giovanni Guerrini\u2014the devoted majordomo to Countess Bona Gigliucci\u2014returned to the Villa Rossa for the first time in over four decades. Her visit, guided by Director Sasha Perugini, was deeply emotional, a homecoming steeped in memory&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":13710,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wds_primary_category":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13703","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13703","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13703"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13703\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13946,"href":"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13703\/revisions\/13946"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13710"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13703"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13703"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/suabroad.syr.edu\/florence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}