Italiano
The Palazzo Marchetti di Montestrutto overlooks the square of the Parish Church of Santa Maria Assunta in Erbusco and is surrounded by high enclosing walls that almost completely obstruct the view. It was constructed at the end of the 16th century by the Chizzola branch of the family that resided in the former Casa Toscani, later known as Casa Negroni. In the 19th century, the last descendant of the Erbusco branch of the Chizzola family, without direct heirs, bequeathed the property to his great-grandson, Giovanni Francesco Martinengo Villagana, who was the grandfather of Giuditta, the wife of Count Ippolito Marchetti di Montestrutto, whom she married in 1895.
By family inheritance, the residence ultimately passed to Count Antonio Marchetti di Montestrutto, the current owner. The palace opens onto the square with an impressive Sarnico stone portal, featuring the Chizzola family coat of arms at the center of its arch. Above the entrance, there is a balcony with molded columns, also made of Sarnico stone. On the eastern corner of the facade, a small tower with loopholes stands, probably built in the 14th century for defense against potential attacks.
The southern side of the palace is enclosed by a high wall, traditional of the second half of the 17th century following a violent altercation between the servants of the two noble families, the Chizzola and the Martinengo, who owned the adjacent palace, currently known as Palazzo Lechi. To the west of the villa lies a beautiful sloping garden, designed on two levels and connected by a grand 18th-century staircase made of Sarnico stone.
The garden is adorned with two round fountains and, on the western side, a frescoed backdrop. Under the entrance archway, to the right, an elegant staircase leads to the first floor. The palace is presented with a closed courtyard surrounded on three sides by arcades with broad round arches.