La Rotonda - la Malintesa

A few steps from the Church of S. Colombano stands this small but curious cylindrical building, called the Rotonda (or la Malintesa). This construction is located near Vecia Via della Lana.

The exterior is notable for the stones that compose it. The entrance portal follows the curved surface of the building: it has a full arch and leads to a small circular space, topped by a dome. The recess inside suggests the presence of a chimney in the past, and at the highest part, there are slits where beams presumably rested.

The entrance of the building is topped by an inscription carved into the stone with the following Latin words:

BONIFACIVS. SPREA. P.
ANDREAE. LATIORVM. F.
COLLE. SECTO. IMPLETA. VALLE
OLEAS. POSVIT. HANC. CONDIDIT
ANNO. SAL. M.D.CCC.XVII

which indicate that Don Bonifacio Sprea, a priest from Illasi, "cut the mountain and filled the valley, planted olive trees, and built the building in 1817."

In Don Bonifacio Sprea's will, his generosity is evident, as well as his desire to donate part of his assets to several religious communities. Upon his death, he bequeathed to the Sanctuary of San Colombano a field of olive trees, called "Triangolo" because the plot corresponded to a perfect isosceles triangle, which included the Rotonda, a building he constructed as a place for meditation and writing. Since Don Bonifacio Sprea's bequest required the obligation to celebrate a Mass every first week of the month, but the expected income did not cover the cost of celebrating them, the inheritance was declined.

In 1879, the land along with the Rotonda and the olive trees was rented and then put up for auction. The winning bidder was Giona Bernardo from Colognola ai Colli, who consequently made the Rotonda a private property, as it remains still today.