The Villa of Celle is a beautiful country residence that has undergone several transformations over the centuries and has seen numerous owners. Among the most important families, the Fabroni family, who resided in Celle from the 15th century until the 18th century, must certainly be mentioned.
Atto Fabroni was the first owner of the residence, thanks to him the building was transformed into a country villa. Later, another decisive figure was Cardinal Carlo Agostino Fabroni (1651-1727), founder of the prestigious Fabroniana Library in Pistoia. He was responsible for the major extensions to the villa, the Italian-style gardens in front of it and the aristocratic chapel behind it. On the façade of the chapel, one can still see the coat of arms of the noble Fabroni family with the characteristic tralice band with the three hammers, surmounted by the cardinal’s hat.
In the 19th century, Celle was marked by the presence of Piedmontese Count Damiano Caselli. In fact, he was responsible for the creation of the romantic park, which extends over about 20 hectares. A work he dedicated himself to since the 1930s for more than 20 years. Avenues were widened, an ice house, an Egyptian monument, a tea house, a Chinese pond and different varieties of plants were planted. The architect Giovanni Gambini worked on the construction of the park. He was responsible, among other things, for the large lake with a small island in the middle and the waterfalls, which were inaugurated in 1845.