Caroelli Palace

About

The palace dates back to the 17th or 18th century and is an example of Baroque architecture. It was the country residence of the Caroelli counts, feudal lords of Vespolate and Garbagna Novarese.

The Caroellis later sold the building to the Moretti family of Milan : in the early 1840s it was the property of Enea Moretti.

A century later Ernesto Colli reports it as belonging to the Buslacchi family and in 1978 to the Costadone family.

Palazzo Caroelli Location of the building in Garbagna The building is located within a block bordered to the east by Via Matteotti, to the south by Via Chiesa, to the north by Via Scuole, and to the west by a system of private roads, some of which are used by the building itself. The block forms the southernmost branch of the historic center (the ancient core, in documents) of Garbagna and includes other buildings.

The building has an L-shaped plan, composed of a substantially rectangular building with the main side (public façade) facing east; another building, also substantially rectangular, is grafted onto this wing at 90°. The latter constitutes the private sector of the ancient residence, with a façade featuring a portico on the ground floor. In front of the southern wing is a quadrangular courtyard with access from Via Matteotti via a gate. The external area (garden) starts from the junction between the east and south buildings, with free development in a north and west direction.

The facade is divided longitudinally: the lower part is more sober and consists of a ground floor and a mezzanine, the upper part has a central balcony and curvilinear mouldings above the windows.

The eastern facade is defined by a moulded cornice with monumental chimneys, on two levels, and is punctuated by rustate lesenes. In the lower part there are simply framed windows, while in the upper part, in addition to the aforementioned balcony, the openings are decorated with curvilinear friezes. This side of the building, overlooking the main road of the village, is completed by the surrounding wall, in which a driveway is created, defined by a frame and two hints of volutes on the sides.

On the south side, there is a large portico with segmental arches supported by stone columns, in a simple style. The portico overlooks the internal courtyard, which once housed the service wings, now replaced by more recent buildings. The keep's roof is topped by two stone pine cones. From the portico, a grand staircase decorated with a wrought-iron railing leads to the upper floor.

Inside, the rooms on the upper floor, originally reserved for the owners, are decorated with frescoes and stuccos in the Baroque style. These rooms retain their original elegance: they all open onto a central hall adorned with stuccos and frescoes with allegorical subjects on the ceiling and landscapes on the walls. The other rooms also have decorated ceilings, although the subjects are difficult to interpret.

Inside, on the lower floor, in addition to the large hall, there is a small church dedicated to Saint John of Nepomuk. The building has a single nave with a marble altar and altarpiece. The altarpiece is now devoid of the painted panel that adorned it in the 18th century, when it was visited by the bishop of Novara, Marco Aurelio Balbis Bertone, during his visit on April 18, 1762. Church officials' reports state that in the 18th century, this oratory opened onto the street through a door, had decent vaults, was paved, whitewashed, and had an apse decorated with sacred images. The building was illuminated by a south-facing stained glass window. The marble altarpiece was enriched by a painted canvas depicting the Blessed Virgin and Saint John of Nepomuk, the saint to whom the church is dedicated.

The facade is divided longitudinally: the lower part is more sober and consists of a ground floor and a mezzanine, the upper part has a central balcony and curvilinear mouldings above the windows.

The eastern facade is defined by a moulded cornice with monumental chimneys, on two levels, and is punctuated by rustate lesenes. In the lower part there are simply framed windows, while in the upper part, in addition to the aforementioned balcony, the openings are decorated with curvilinear friezes. This side of the building, overlooking the main road of the village, is completed by the surrounding wall, in which a driveway is created, defined by a frame and two hints of volutes on the sides.

On the south side, there is a large portico with segmental arches supported by stone columns, in a simple style. The portico overlooks the internal courtyard, which once housed the service wings, now replaced by more recent buildings. The keep's roof is topped by two stone pine cones. From the portico, a grand staircase decorated with a wrought-iron railing leads to the upper floor.

Inside, the rooms on the upper floor, originally reserved for the owners, are decorated with frescoes and stuccos in the Baroque style. These rooms retain their original elegance: they all open onto a central hall adorned with stuccos and frescoes with allegorical subjects on the ceiling and landscapes on the walls. The other rooms also have decorated ceilings, although the subjects are difficult to interpret.

Inside, on the lower floor, in addition to the large hall, there is a small church dedicated to Saint John of Nepomuk. The building has a single nave with a marble altar and altarpiece. The altarpiece is now devoid of the painted panel that adorned it in the 18th century, when it was visited by the bishop of Novara, Marco Aurelio Balbis Bertone, during his visit on April 18, 1762. Church officials' reports state that in the 18th century, this oratory opened onto the street through a door, had decent vaults, was paved, whitewashed, and had an apse decorated with sacred images. The building was illuminated by a south-facing stained glass window. The marble altarpiece was enriched by a painted canvas depicting the Blessed Virgin and Saint John of Nepomuk, the saint to whom the church is dedicated.

The Caroelli family originally lived between Galliate and Romentino. Its members were classified as dominus and were spice merchants, priests, or doctors.

Regarding heraldry, Antonio Manno reports:

- coat of arms: Azure with a silver castle accompanied, at the head by two gold stars; at the tip by a silver lamb ;

Giovanni Andrea was a wholesale rice and grain merchant. In 1612, he married Anna Gallina, the daughter of merchants, confirming the family's commercial vocation.

Alessandro, son of Giovanni Andrea, initially operated in the same business as his father. The wealth he accumulated allowed him to secure the Contado ' s Treasury contract from 1625 to 1635 and from 1646 to 1647. This allowed him to significantly increase his wealth.