An architectural estate of cultural interest

For forty years, Villa Asquer and its park have been at the center of a unique architectural and environmental project – a living metaphor of the human ability to evolve and improve without losing one’s identity. Before this process, the area was recognized in 1977 by the Superintendence of Environmental, Architectural, Artistic and Historical Heritage of Cagliari as a place of cultural interest. Its buildings date back to the first half of the 16th century and are Sardinia’s only fortified farm: a historic and artistic heritage to be protected and preserved under monumental restriction. In 1977, the park thus became a green area protected by the landscape restrictions of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia.

The oldest central core of the Villa consisted of three buildings set around a large courtyard with an arched portico and other architectural elements. The original rustic patrician style underwent modifications and additions over the centuries which tell the story of the estate with their typical features from different periods of history. The wooded area included olive groves, a pine forest, clearings and Mediterranean scrubland.

In 1979, the entire fifty-seven acre area, belonging to the Asquer family, was purchased by Diana 6, a company managed by the founder of the IED (European Institute of Design), Francesco Morelli. Even though the idea of turning the area into an IED headquarters was later revised, the design, sense of beauty, and harmonious eclecticism would continue to take center stage.

Changing, preserving, staying true to one’s self

Morelli turned Villa Asquer into his own personal haven, a place in which to reflect, reason, and carry out a transformation process free from time limits or business goals. For nearly forty years, he invested both cultural and financial resources on this place that was so dear to him, never holding back in his efforts. When he died in 2017, the Francesco Morelli Foundation took over implementation of the project through Diana 6 S.r.l.

In 1979, however, the situation was very different. The entire complex, apart from one building, had been long abandoned. The crumbling buildings had been repeatedly vandalized and reduced to rubble, and the walls demolished or missing in many places. The wooded and farm areas were neglected. Despite this overall state of neglect, it was still possible, however, to make out the original buildings, the large roof with wooden beams (or trusses) and the ancient stone walls. The manor house still had its low, sturdy towers, a loggia and annex.

In 1981, the process of protecting and converting the Villa and its grounds into a new headquarters for the IED got under way. The architect, Alfonso Gasperini, was appointed to oversee the project which he did until the mid-1990s. After requesting and obtaining authorization from the Superintendency to enclose the entire property in 1981, the following year, Gasperini was given the go-ahead and permission to carry out the extraordinary maintenance and restoration of the buildings.

The atmosphere we experience today, along with the restored appearance of the buildings and green spaces, reflects Morelli’s vision, jointly designed with Gasperini. Today, as forty years ago, the quest for an ideal balance between harmony and beauty throughout the estate, clearly evident to visitors of Villa Asquer, remains the driving force behind the entire estate’s revitalization process. For this oasis of freedom, Morelli and Diana 6 have chosen to steer clear of the dictates of speculation and financial gain. Morelli invested with care and dedication in the use of fine, natural materials in keeping with the style both of the original buildings and in the creation of large, elegant spaces. As the drawings of the various design stages show, the significant transformation of the buildings never detracted from their original character.

The buildings

The history of the estate dates back to the 16th century with the so-called Building A, the oldest and best preserved of all the buildings. It has an L-shaped layout consisting of 16th-century low, fortified towers connected to an arched loggia that must have originally been a stable. The main body on two levels lies between a tower and the loggia, creating the longest wing of the L-shaped structure. The facades features a long series of windows with pointed arches (with two curved sides that meet to form a point at the top) and round arches (semi-circular). The double-pitched roof is supported by wooden trusses and covered by durable, curved ‘Sardinian’ tiles.

The lowest of the two 16th-century fortified towers, with similar size circular bases, was probably never finished. It is this tower that joins the loggia to the main building. The walls are made of mixed masonry (opus mixtum), a Roman construction technique that combines concrete, stone, and brick. The masonry, in fact, features regular and irregular ashlars (blocks of squared stone) of limestone of varying sizes and other stones with some parts in brick (or clay bricks).

This roughly square-shaped building layout was badly damaged and partly reduced to inaccessible ruins. It underwent extensive reconstruction based on the original layout, recovering a series of storerooms connected by arched passageways. The current building was modeled on the volumes of the storerooms, which have been transformed into extensive, standard areas arranged around a spacious hall with large windows. The main hall looks out onto the park and courtyards between the buildings while the structure houses three different height rooms and an office space.

Building C was also reduced to ruins before being overhauled by Gasperini, the architect in charge. It also consisted of storerooms connected by porticos. The current building is the result of the 1982 project that recovered the original layout. There is a large main body and service area on the short side of the L-shaped layout. The buildings house two large halls featuring the original porticos on two sides that now feature two long rows of patio doors.

At the time of purchase, the spaces between the buildings were also in a serious state of disrepair, unpaved and overgrown. The walls that connected the buildings and enclosed some of the storeroom and courtyard areas were in a state of disrepair, as can be seen in the photos taken in the 1980s. In 1993, following the completion of the restoration work started in 1982, the design stage of the external areas began. It lasted until the early 2000s. Traces of the ancient walls, which connected the buildings and enclosed spaces used for livestock and farming activities during the Asquer family’s ownership, are still visible. They have been integrated and redesigned into decorative elements, such as the two gateways with wrought iron gates around Building A and the wall system to the south of Building C.

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