You would see him cycling through the garden of Castello di Roncade—his garden. At times like an almost hysterical fire if he was hungry or didn’t want to miss a meeting, whatever it might be. At other times calm, if he was tired or satisfied and ready to go to bed. He was unpredictable, and working with him was no easy task: in some ways, we were two similar fires. My first meeting with him was on the threshold of the summer of 2011. Having just arrived from Palermo, I was accompanied inside Castello di Roncade and left with my luggage under the barchessa. After a while, I saw him advancing towards me from the far end, his feet dragging noisily across the floor. He was shouting that I had to go to Diego, whom I hadn’t yet met and had no idea where to find. It was my first encounter with him, and my very first day at the castle. He looked like a furious gardener; instead, he was Vincenzo Ciani Bassetti or, to most people, THE BARON. He was never an organized man, but he was a unique man of immense culture and deeply faithful to himself: he imitated no one. Many came from afar to seek him out, and almost loved him. It was his uniqueness that fed their normality. In its more than five hundred years of history, I don’t think Castello di Roncade has ever had a more charismatic owner than him.

That is why I decided to create this painting: to honor a man who deserves to be remembered, far beyond the lifespan of our own memories. From those of us who knew him and worked by his side: Vincenzo, you will be dearly missed!

“Uniqueness feeds normality”