Monte del Fra - History
From 1492 to the Bonomo Family:The first historic news come to us from documents studied in the Capitolare, the historic library of Verona and going back to 1492 when the propriety was owned by the order of the Santa Maria della Scala of Verona monks.
This propriety was progressively rented by notarial deed to various families, one of these, with a deed dated 1619, was originally from Sommacampagna.
At that time the concern had about 25 fields of fertile land with wines, mulberry and other trees. The annual rent was paid on the feast day of St. Michael (29th September) and consisted of 2 vats of black grapes and 6 crates of vegetables to be delivered to the monastry in Verona.
In 1721 the rent contract was renewed by the cousins of this family: Bernardo and Giovanni, and after this change of conduction began the heated contrasts between the monks and the previous family.
These men already had some fields of their own at Monte del Frà, but at the same time they were heavily in debt with the monks and the parish priest of Sommacampagna. In order to silence the latter they sold four fields on the building boundry of Monte del Frà. The monks, however, contested that these fields were their property, and so they appealed to a judge. He examined the deeds and in 1729 he sentenced that these fields were the property of the monks, and not of this family, who were then definitely sent away from Monte del Frà.
In 1805 – 1806 with the Napoleonic decrees many properties belonging to the church were taken away and put to auction. This was also Monte del Frà’s fate.
This territory was later the site of fierce fighting during the Risorgimental war, and an extension of same, located in Staffalo was the scene of the defeat of Italy against Austria.
Today, Monte del Frà belongs to the Bonomo family, together with other locations, all gathered in the heart of the Custoza area. This family is the actual owner of more than 100 hectareas and other rented fields.
