stemma
The history of this palace and its court has medieval origins. The Palazzo Filagni, or “al Palàs” as it was called by local people, has its roots in the XI century, as a fortified house, i.e. as a “protected” construction where a “rural” gentleman kept agricultural products to prevent thefts. Not only, because of their height and their round-built constructions, these buildings often had defensive functions. In all likelihood, the palace was built by the Este family Pallavicino, who came from the Lombard strain of Orbetenghi and held the Valmozzola feud from the XII to the XV century AD. In 1472 the Duke Francesco Sforza of Milan gave this estate to his nephew Lodovico Sforza of Valmozzola Fogliani, son of Corrado Fogliani d ‘Aragon and Gabriella Gonzaga and husband of Margherita Gonzaga Pallavicino. On 4th December 1506 the marquis Lodovico Sforza Fogliani hired two mills to Gio Baccarino, including the mill said “Taro”, which then belonged to the “possession of Matognola”, area still at the bottom of Filagni, near the Taro river. In 1558 the Palace, located in the hamlet of Matognola, was part of Francesco Sforza Fogliani’s possessions, who had his jurisdiction over the Marquis of Pellegrino Parmense and Valmozzola. Moreover, it is proved that these possessions previously belonged to the Duke Pier Luigi Farnese, which is evident from the Marquis Massimiliano Sforza Fogliani’s property description, registered in 1557 and reported in the Farnesian cadastral surveys kept in San Martino di Valmozzola. The first news about “Palazzo Filagni” dates back to 1615, where amongst the various goods and possessions of the Marquis Lodovico Sforza Fogliani (Massimiliano’s son and Lavinia Scotti’s husband) relevant to the fief of Valmozzola will also include “the said tenement with Matognola his fits and his court”. The news is also reported in the Sforza Fogliani Archive in a document dated 10th September 1615 and which covers property of the Marquis Lodovico, one of whom was also “an estate in the Mozzola valley called the Matognela”. On 10th June 1630 Matognola was given to Lavinia Scotti, Ludovico’s wife, as dowry. Seventeen years later it is reported that a certain Antonio Picchone worked as farmer in Matognola, property of Marquis Fogliani and rent by Mr. Pietro Parasacchi. On 18th December 1762 Valmozzola feud, which has since passed to the Borbone dinasty, was granted to Federico Melilupi Soragna Fogliani Sforza, who after his investiture, pledged loyalty. On 22nd December 1784, Captain Giuseppe Cornini from Piacenza rents the Pellegrino and Valmozzola estates, hence the Matogna feud. In 1824 the fund was sold to Count Carlo Pettenati from Langhirano and Count of Cassacca, belonging to Berceto area, who bought the fund still owned by his grandmother Marianna Carboni. On 19th Februray 1883 Giuseppe Pettenati gave all his possessions to Angelo e Domenico Maestri from Ghiare Berceto. Starting from the first half of the nineteenth century until the 70s of the twentieth century, the Mussi family worked as farmers in Matogna at the service of the Maestri. After about twenty years, the house was purchased by Ilario Mussi, a surveyor from San Martino di Valmozzola, who undertook a refurbishment and maintenance of the building. After years of work, he and his daughter Caterina decided to open a Bed and Breakfast.
