THE FUTURE OF THE VILLA ASQUER PARK

Since Francesco Morelli’s company, Diana Sei, bought the estate at the end of the 1960s, the park has undergone a deep transformation process that took it from a set of ruins surrounded by a pine forest and overgrown fields, to the park we see today. Francesco Morelli’s incessant work was driven by an aesthetic vision and a desire for harmony that would find their embodiment in the park and be transmitted to the people who visited it.

Transforming this space was a personal project for Francesco Morelli, founder of the Istituto Europeo di Design – a school founded on the idea of concrete, transformative creativity. This same energy and design vision is what enabled him – year after year, decade after decade – to give life to a place purposefully permeated by beauty. This beauty was not end to itself or intended for personal use – it was conceived in the spirit of giving something back to all its future visitors.

Following its Founder’s passing, the Francesco Morelli Foundation took over the complex and, driven by Diana Sei, will take the Villa Asquer project to completion and share it with the local population and anyone wishing to immerse themselves and experience this unique place.

In short

All listed monuments are perfectly in line with the taste and aesthetic quality of the other parts of the park, which was designed and built in phases over a 40-year period. This explains the stylistic variety that gives the complex its eclectic look.

It can be said that the way the buildings interact, the many fountains, sculptures and the park as a whole is of classical inspiration – not so much in their style, which is not in actual fact unique, but in the idea behind them. Over the years when Francesco Morelli oversaw its planing and building, the site became a place whose ultimate goal is to create harmony, generating positive feelings and lifting spirits.

Designing and realizing the park has not been a linear process. In a sense, it was born almost spontaneously and instinctively based on its proprietor’s desires. This is evidenced by the abundance of certain design elements in contrast with the excessive scarcity of others. Decorative elements, for instance, prevail over service areas, site development, and other systems. Over the years, the priority was always to create a place of beauty rather than following the principles of speculation or economy.

Another important part of the plan was time. Choosing to incorporate nature into the project made time and continuous care non-negotiable elements.
These themes, which are anachronistic when it comes to modern interventions, often surprise visitors who do not immediately understand the nature of the complex. We are, in fact, no longer used to seeing spaces built solely for the pleasure of creating beauty, without quick financial gain as their primary objective. However, this was the case for Villa Asquer during the time that it was under the care of its owner, Francesco Morelli.

“Over the years when Francesco Morelli oversaw its planing and building, the site became a place whose ultimate goal is to create harmony, generating positive feelings and lifting spirits.”

IN SHORT

“Over the years, the priority was always to create a place of beauty rather than following the principles of speculation or economy. ”

A PLACE OF BEAUTY

“Choosing to incorporate nature into the project made time and continuous care non-negotiable elements.”

The value of time