The spacious hall, divided at its center by a pillar, features the main door on the west side. This door, adorned with wrought iron elements, is recognizable in a photograph by Daniele Lelli. The evocative image captures a corner of the hall still inhabited by Frabboni, allowing us to envision the house as it was furnished, particularly the area that served as the dining room. Visible are a marble floor with a Persian rug, a beamed ceiling with a wrought iron chandelier affixed to a beam, a large built-in display cabinet near the door, and a grand oval table with eight chairs painted by the painter with lace on the backs and crosses on the seats, in front of the shop window, and a large painting, the subject of which is St George slaying the dragon to save the princesshangs on the wall. Another photograph reveals a different corner of the hall, arranged as a small sitting area, with walls paneled in planed wooden boards. Here, a well-known painting by Frabboni titled “Sassi e frammento lapideo” and the artist’s collection of clocks are displayed. The walls also feature various devotional icons created by the artist using window shutters from the De Amicis school, salvaged during renovations.

To the east of the hall lies the cellar, furnished to reflect Frabboni’s love for fine wine. In the space leading to both the internal cellar and the external hallway stands a marble bust of Anacleto Bonora, placed on a pedestal. Commissioned by the Municipality of San Pietro in Casale to honor and remember the founder of the local hospital, this bust was originally installed in the healthcare facility. Anacleto Bonora, a wealthy citizen, held various municipal positions from 1845 to 1879. He was involved in road maintenance, served as an inspector for the Fire Brigade, and, through the donation of a building and land he owned, promoted the construction of a facility dedicated to public healthcare. The hospital, accommodating thirty beds and specializing in clinical and surgical therapy, was inaugurated on July 19, 1896. Closed in 1993, it now houses the offices of the Unione Reno Galliera. The pedestal supporting the sculpture bears the inscription: “TO ANACLETO BONORA, BENEVOLENT FOUNDER OF THIS HOSPITAL, THE GRATEFUL MUNICIPALITY PLACED [THIS]. SAN PIETRO IN CASALE 1894.” .

The sculptor Carlo Monari’s signature is engraved on the back of the bust: C. Monari f 1893.

Text content by Marianna Biondi