... where there lived a beautiful princess ...
With this sentence the most beautiful fairy tales always begin with this sentence and just want to tell the story of the Emerald.
In fact, the castle was a villa and the princess was a noble Marquess, whose name seems to have been their Esmeralda.
The villa, which dates back to the 700 stood between the country and Vialarda Coniolo consituito and the front of the building by the owner's residence with lounge, kitchen, and large wineries had a private little chapel with painted ceiling of blue studded with stars gold. At the heart of it there was a wooden altar in the 700's. A grate on the right wall of the chapel at the top, allowed to attend Marquise to S. Mass without being seen by his peasants who lived in the rustic part of the buildings surrounding the house. Tall trees and dense vegetation hid all the curiosity of the traveler. Only the bell tower of the church soared high into the sky and the tolling of the bell will mark the slow passing of the seasons.
Life in those days, certainly tough for the peasant, was equally pleasant for the noble Esmeralda. Long paths sprinkled with fine white gravel and lined with flower pots allowed short walks or long leisure activities in open carriage, to the river Stura and from there, even towards the Po ver
Nestled among thousands of fragrant oleander, water lilies and aquatic plants of all kinds, the small lake located right on the central front of the house was a destination for hiking during the summer. The water had a water exchange through an underground spring that fed the adjacent stone well.
the middle of the lake was a small promontory with a charming gazebo , in which Esmeralda used to eat a small snack after being transhipped from his boatman gardener on the island.
La Villa, almost like a small village, had their lives completely autonomous and independent from neighboring countries.
In a brick oven bread is baked for the entire community, while the earth and animals gil gave the necessities of life, even in difficult times.
In case of danger, a tunnel is still visible but closed by a heavy grating, led the inhabitants of the Emerald from the cellars of a secret exit , below the hill of Coniolo.
The bell of the church continued for many more years to mark the passing of the seasons but something was, though slowly, changing .
the disappearance of the Marchioness of the Valley of Pomarico, the property was purchased, only in the "noble", a young coniolese: Giacomo Martinotti.
The mentality at that time James was more entrepreneurial that farmers, in fact Smeralda villa was maintained for one year the gardener boatman who took care of 4,000 vessels that finacheggiavano paths and lanes full of flowers. But then the before and after the Second World War, the need to work within three sons, will transform what was once a splendid mansion, in a farm.
were sold paintings, furniture, furnishings and books of great value. The small church was stripped from the altar and of angels to make way for a grain storehouse.
We are the fourth generation and today, Maurizio Martinotti, great-grandson of James that, even if that bold-minded, could not maintain the Emerald to the splendors of the past, wanted to somehow follow in the footsteps of her great grandfather, a great lover of his land. It was time for a change to understand how important it is back to nature and to its origins.
Since 1993, the Emerald, although restored in accordance with a peasant, was opened as a tourism center to those who want to spend a day or a period in the country, to enjoy the taste of the simplicity of a time, and perhaps, with the fantasy , retrace the paths as the beautiful Esmeralda a time, able to return children to dream and, as a simple tale of other times. Starting in 2009 Roberta
and Cristian , Friends Mauro, grow with him the desire to give glory to Emerald Farm and with your help will continue his story ...