Casa dell'Abate Naldi: the story
At number 24 via Dante Alighieri, among the main monuments of the town, is the Casa dell'Abate Naldi, also called Palazzo Simonelli-Santi.
It was built in the seventeenth century on behalf of Matteo Naldi, a Sienese physician and scientist, personal doctor of the Pope Alexander VII of the Chigi family.
In 1684 the house became property of Angelo Simonelli, an art expert, grandson of Nicolò Simonelli who was curator in Rome of the Chigi and Pamphili art collections. Angelo followed Cardinal Flavio Chigi to San Quirico when the latter was awarded by Cosimo III de 'Medici the title of marquis of the town.
Our ancestors
The descendants of Angelo often lived in the house in San Quirico, acquiring land in the surrounding area to constitute a large estate and relating to various families of the local nobility.
At the end of the eighteenth century, the surname of Giorgio Santi was added to the Simonelli. Giorgio was a naturalist, a friend of Diderot and Franklin, a member of the "Le 9 Sorelle" an Enlightement circle in Paris ,rector of the University of Pisa and minister of the Graducate. Dying without heirs, he left his surname and his properties to the relatives of his wife, Anna Simonelli.
In 1799 General MacDonald, commander-in-chief of the French Expeditionary Corps in Italy, stopped in San Quirico and in gratitude of the hospitality received from the Simonelli family he prevented his troops from looting the country and its surroundings.
In 1800 Lorenzo Simonelli was born, jurisconsult and gonfaloniere, head of all the current branches of the family that in Valdorcia own also Palazzo Santi (formerly Gonzaga ) in Pienza, the castle La Rimbecca and Villa Malintoppo near San Quirico.
From 1860 Casa dell’Abate Naldi was the home of Vittorio Simonelli, Lorenzo's youngest son, who was geologist and professor at the University of Bologna and director of the Natural History Museum of that city.
During World War II the house suffered serious damage due to a bomb which exploded in the garden, while the facade on Via Dante Alighieri remained almost intact.
Our time
Since the end of the war, once the damage had been restored, the house has always been inhabited, first by Vittorio’s daughter Anna Simonelli and after by her son Vittorio and his wife Lorenza, who are passionately committed to the enhancement of their home.
The house is submitted to the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage and it’s affiliated to the Italian Historic Houses Association (ADSI) that acts on behalf of the owners of historic buildings in the Italian territory, as an important part of our cultural heritage. Every house has a precise identity, unique in Europe, for its history, cultural value and is closely related with the surrounding environment.
Next Events
Casa dell’Abate Naldi hosts the cooking lessons of Gli Archi Culinary School, musical events, exhibitions of art and crafts.
Click on the calendar days to find out what the next events are, we invite you to participate and come and meet us in S. Quirico d’Orcia, in Tuscany.