ADSI
Dear website visitor,
You can find hereafter a summary of our Association Activity, as well as a gallery of the most significant houses, which are part of our entity.
Our aim with this page in English language is to give you a quick overview of our activity, our targets, and our chart.
Should you require any further information, please feel free to contact us
ABOUT US
Our aim: preserve, defend, and develop the Italian heritage
The Associazione Dimore Storiche Italiane (ADSI) - Italian Historic Houses Association - acts on behalf of the owners of historic buildings in the Italian territory, as an important part of our cultural heritage.
Historic houses are classified as State listed cultural assets and, as such, are subject to strict regulations aimed at preserving their original structure and character, under the owners' responsibility.
It is a huge and varied heritage, including country houses and mansions, palazzi, villas and castles, as well as gardens and farm estates. They are spread on all Italian territory and are mostly (80%) located in the countryside or in small cities. Each of these assets has a precise identity, unique in Europe, for its history, cultural value and are closely related with the surrounding environment.
They are unique properties with peculiar maintenance issues, which the owners – as guardians of these assets - must face on a daily basis.
However these are assets which – providing a correct management – may be a strategic contribution to the economy of the territory they are part of, as well as to the cultural and social life.
To achieve this target, ADSI Italian Historic Houses Association, through its 4500 members, is constantly engaged, in partnership with the European Historic Houses Association (EHH), in promoting and valorising historic houses.
ADSI's commitment involves:
- The Association Members, and the owners of the properties, providing technical and legal advice including fiscal aspects.
- The national and local authorities, building a close and proactive partnership, in order to define with them the best solutions for the daily heritage management.
- The educational system, promoting knowledge among young people highlighting opportunities generated by the heritage management. Historic houses, cannot be moved elsewhere and can create job opportunities.
- The public opinion and media in general, in order to increase the knowledge of this important part of our cultural heritage.
HISTORY
The Associazione Dimore Storiche Italiane (ADSI) was founded in Rome, on 4 March 1977, based on the example of similar associations in other European countries.
Since 40years, ADSI is focused on the preservation, valorisation and management of historic houses.
It was established thanks to the commitment and passion of several owners and loyal custodians of the heritage that can undoubtedly be defined as one of the most important historical and artistic heritages worldwide.
The founding members of ADSI were:
Gian Giacomo di Thiene
Niccolò Pasolini dall’Onda
Oretta Massimo Lancellotti
Aimone di Seyssel d’Aix
Ippolito Calvi di Bergolo
Augusta Desideria Pozzi Serafini,
Rinaldo Chidichimo
Bona Midana Battaglia
Bonaldo Stringher
Bianca Leopardi.
On April 22nd, 1977, the Board of the Association met for the first time in Rome, at Palazzo Pasolini dall’Onda, and unanimously elected as National President, Gian Giacomo di Thiene, who held this position until 1986.
On the same day, the first regional branches of the Association were established:
Emilia-Romagna - Friuli-Venezia Giulia - Lazio - Lombardia - Marche - Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta - Puglia - Toscana - Umbria - Veneto
The other past Presidents of the Association were:
- 1986/1992 Niccolò Pasolini dall’Onda
- 1992/1997 Gaetano Barbiano di Belgiojoso
- 1997/2001 Aimone di Seyssel d’Aix
- 2001/2010 Aldo Pezzana Capranica del Grillo
- 2010/2016 Moroello Diaz della Vittoria Pallavicini
- 2016/2019 Gaddo della Gherardesca
Since June 4th, 2019, Giacomo di Thiene, is the current National President
ASSOCIATION'S CHART (ABSTRACT)
It is defined as “historical house” a building declared of historical and artistic interest, including its park, garden, and other annexed structures, built or subsequently used both for residential or other purposes.
Historical Houses are clearly defined by the “Codice dei Beni Culturali e del Paesaggio” (Cultural heritage National Chart) established by Italian Law nr. 42/2004. However, the Association can declare that a given building can be considered “Historical Heritage” although not included in the above-mentioned Law 42/2004, due to his peculiarities, as well as historical reason.
The Association is a National entity and it is organised in regional branches.
The purpose of the Association is to assist their members in preservation, valorisation and management of historical houses, thus contributing to protect and enhance the knowledge of cultural heritage.
To achieve its purpose, the Association may, inter alia:
- Provide consultancy services, as well as assistance in administrative, fiscal and technical matters and information activities to its members.
- establish relations with the related public authorities;
- as a member of the EHH (European Historic Houses) association, collaborate with and join similar organisations at national, European and international level,;
- promote projects, studies and research aimed to the achievement of its purpose;
- recommend possible solutions for applying more suitable legislation, at national and/or European level;
- carry out cultural activities;
- undertake activities for promoting and valorising goods of the Members.
The Association has the following membership categories:
- members: persons who are the owners, or joint owners, of historical houses or single units within historical houses, or who hold real rights in the said houses;
- honorary members: members who give a significant contribution, by means of funds or in any other way, to the achievement of the organisation's purpose.
The Association may achieve its purposes through the contribution of the following persons:
- Patrons: important artists and cultural figures, besides other organisations and institutions, who contribute through their work and experience;
- Supporters: individuals, corporations or organisations that contribute through funding;
- Friends of the Historic Houses: individuals or corporations anyhow interested in supporting the purposes of the Association.
The Association operates through the following bodies:
- Members
- Managing Board
- National President
- Steering Committee
- Board of Auditors
- Board of Arbitrators
- Scientific Committee, whose membership and duties are defined in its own Regulation.
The Association is managed by the Managing Board, which is composed by the Presidents of the regional Branches and by nine members elected by the Assembly, in accordance with the Regulation.
The Managing Board names the National President.
The regional Branches, represented by their Presidents, provide for the implementation of the Association's purposes at the local level, liaising with the members and operating with the regional and other local authorities.
A Group of so called “Young Members” (within 35 years age) may also be established, at both central and regional level.
ORGANISATION CHART

National President
Giacomo di Thiene
Honorary past Presidents
- Niccolò Pasolini dall’Onda
- Moroello Diaz della Vittoria
Deputy president
- Bernardo Gondi
- Gianludovico de Martino
National secretary
- Giovanni Ciarrocca
Regional Branch Presidents
- Abruzzo Ludovico Basile
- Basilicata Eugenio Martuscelli
- Calabria Gianludovico de Martino
- Campania Marina Colonna
- Emilia-Romagna Giovanni Facchinetti Pulazzini
- Friuli-Venezia Giulia Teresa Perusini
- Lazio Filippo Massimo Lancellotti
- Liguria Teresa Scotti d'Albertis
- Lombardia Vittorio Giulini
- Marche Stanislao de Angelis Corvi
- Molise Ester Tanasso
- Piemonte e Valle d’Aosta Alessandro Gosztonyi
- Puglia Piero Consiglio
- Sicilia Gioacchino Lanza Tomasi
- Toscana Bernardo Gondi
- Trentino-Alto Adige Wolfgang von Klebelsberg
- Umbria Giovanni Eroli
- Veneto Giulio Gidoni
Board members
- Giovanni da Schio
- Riccardo Imperiali di Francavilla
- Giulia Lechi
- Giuseppina M. Amarelli
- Lorenza Mochi Onori
- Maria Pace Odescalchi
- Clotilde Trentinaglia de Daverio
- Diego M. Visconti
- Orazio Zanardi Landi
Steering committee
- Giuseppina M. Amarelli
- Alessandro Gosztonyi
- Maria Pace Odescalchi
- Wolfgang von Klebelsberg
- Orazio Zanardi Landi
Young members group coordinator
- Alessandro Cavazza
Scientific committee
- Marina Colonna
- Lorenza Mochi Onori
- Wolfgang von Klebelsberg
- Teresa Perusini
- Diego M. Visconti
EHH representative
- Gaddo della Gherardesca
- Alessandro Cavazza
Representative for Italian Park and Garden Association
- Immacolata Afan de Rivera Costaguti
Representative for Italian House Owner Association
- Giulio Gidoni
- Giuseppina M. Amarelli
Arbitrators
- President: Prospero Colonna
- Filippo Beraudo di Pralormo
- Sergio Gelmi di Caporiacco
- Rinaldo Chidichimo
- Francesco Zerbi
Auditors
- Francesco Bucci Casari
- Francesco Schiavone Panni
- Ministery of “Culrural Heritage and Turism” representative: Michela Calisse
- Alessandro Tana
- Lorenzo Theodoli