Historical Notes of the Building (17th-20th centuries) by Raffaele Ridolfi
The rural estates located in the territory of Melara, known as “Possessioni Ferraresi,” have very ancient construction origins.
Pope Innocent X granted them to Francesco Estense Tassoni in 1650, a nobleman from Modena and Ferrara, as well as the Governor of Ancona, for his services rendered. The underlying lands and dwellings were given for use, paying the Holy See four gold ducats. Since then, the “Possessioni” have consistently appeared in pre-unification land registries, such as the “Catasto Carafa” of 1779, the “Teresiano” completed in 1784, and also in the subsequent Napoleonic and Austrian records of the 19th century.
In the 18th century, it was the Turola family that had ownership of them. The Turola family was already residing in Ostiglia in the early decades of the 18th century, but towards the end of the century, they were living in Mantua and were citizens, not only of Mantua but also of Ferrara and Adria. In particular, Pietro Paolo is remembered as a benefactor of the hospital in Ostiglia.
The “Possessioni” over the centuries
The location of the buildings, referred to as “fabbriche” in past centuries, was of considerable importance: they represented a small civil bulwark on the border between two states, the Este State, later Papal, and the Gonzaga State.
Its history in the 17th and 18th centuries is often troubled by disputes over the possession of the large surrounding land area, as well as the extraction of the collected products. These disputes involved Ferrara, Mantua, and the Holy See, resulting in a substantial production of notarial acts. “Fabbriche,” denoting something solid and tangible compared to the vast majority of buildings in our towns, if we can call them that. Even at the beginning of the 19th century, in the “Bertani” survey conducted by Napoleon Bonaparte, our areas consisted of at least 90% of settlements made of reeds, straw, and raw bricks.
The “Possessioni” are sketched in an initial topographic map from the year 1753. This drawing was used to establish the border markers between the State of Ferrara and Mantua, which then led to the famous “Trattato di Melara” concluded in 1757. Later in the 19th century, the properties would pass into the hands of the noble Massari family of Ferrara and would be managed by the Zanella brothers for multiple generations.
