Hotel Granduca is inspired by the life and history of Adalberto Malatesta Granduca of Monfallito.
Adalberto Malatesta was born in Rimini, Italy, in 1524, from GianAntonio and Costanza Malatesta.
The family had to flee Italy when he was only four, as that part of the world, like the rest of Italy, was nothing but a battleground where various European powerhouses were fighting for supremacy and territory. They moved to Savoy, as Costanza was a relative of the ruling Savoias. At age 20 he married Martina di Savoia who brought him a dowry, a palace and 1,800 acres in Monfallito, between Torino and Asti, in the center of Piedmont.
A born leader and skilled in all military arts, he served in the Savoian army. In 1556, he led the army of Emanuel Filiberto of Savoy and his ally Philip II of Spain to defeat the French in the battle of San Quintino. As Piedmont was freed from French influence and under the protection of Spain, Phillip II made Adalberto Granduca of Monfallito.
While he spent his life taking care of his properties, as a Granduca, he continued to help the Savoias consolidate their presence and dominance in Northwest Italy, serving under Emanuele Filiberto and later under his son, Carlo Emanuele I. He and Martina never had children and all his properties reverted back to the Savoias upon his death in 1588.
