Montefiore dell’Aso, a small village in the Marche region, lies a few kilometres from the sea. Also known as the ‘painters’ hill’, it faces south and enjoys a mild and temperate weather; here, gardens and flowering terraces prosper. Artists such as Carlo Crivelli, Adolfo De Carolis and Domenico Cantatore were fascinated by the views of the Aso river valley and by the historical evidence of this small rural village, where they found inspiration for their works. Countess Amalia Giovanetti was born in Montefiore dell’Aso in the second half of the 19th century and spent most of her youth there. In 1905, she married Antonio Romani Adami and together they moved to Fermo, to the current Palazzo Romani Adami on Corso Cavour.
Thanks to her innovative spirit, Countess Amalia, inspired by the positivist ideas of the time, redesigned the structure of the palace like a modern interior designer, giving it its current appearance: large windows, suspended patios, a large kitchen on the mezzanine floor decorated with ceramics by Richard – the soon-to-be Richard Ginori – and large terraces facing the internal courtyards like French dehors. More than a century later, the liveability of the palace, the useability of its outer spaces, and the large rooms lit by natural light have remained unchanged, just as they were conceived by the countess, thus creating a unique experience for the guests. She must be given the credit also for the marvellous colours that adorn the ceilings of the piano nobile, with Art Nouveau frescoes and blue-and-white striped curtains. The light, the green of the urban garden, the large terraces, the paintings, the tapestries and the wall decorations that characterise the palace, all come from the idea of liveability and beauty Countess Amalia had known during her childhood in Montefiore dell’Aso. Her progressive ideas and a marked sensitivity to art turned the palace into a home for her family and the people who worked there.
The State declared the palazzo a cultural asset. Its structure preserves its dual nature as agricultural palace: in the past, it was both the counts’ town residence and the centre of activities linked to the family’s agricultural properties. The eighteenth-century soul of the piano nobile and of the façade, the medieval structures and the Roman remains coexist harmoniously. Cecilia and her brother Giacomo Romani Adami, guardians of this “village within a village”, have the privilege of handing down to guests, and letting them experience, the history of their family and of the palazzo, a precious casket that preserves innovative ideas and rigorous beauty.
