Emilia Morosini
Emilia Morosini Zeltner was a Swiss cultural patron and patriot who supported the Risorgimento movement. She was the caretaker of Tadeusz Kościuszko's heart, a relic entrusted to her family. At her residence, Villa Negroni in Vezia, she hosted a cultural salon that welcomed Italian patriots, political exiles, and prominent artists.
Biography
Emilia was born in Solothurn, Switzerland, to Franz Xaver Zeltner, a Swiss official and prefect of the Canton of Solothurn, and Ursula Peri Zeltner. In 1819, she married Giovanni Battista Morosini and relocated to Vezia, Canton of Ticino, settling at Villa Negroni. Constructed in the late 17th and early 18th centuries by Carlo Morosini, the villa became a hub for political exiles, patriots, and artists. Emilia and Giovanni had six children: a son, Emilio, and daughters Giuseppina, Carolina, Luigia, Annetta, and Cristina.Connection to Tadeusz Kościuszko
Emilia's father, Franz Xaver Zeltner, was a close friend of Tadeusz Kościuszko, hosting him in Solothurn from 1815 to 1817. After Kościuszko's death on 15 October 1817, his embalmed heart was entrusted to the Zeltner family per his wishes. Following her 1819 marriage, Emilia brought the relic to Villa Negroni, where it was preserved in the family mausoleum. In 1895, the urn containing the heart was transferred to the Polish Museum in Rapperswil, and in 1927, it was moved to the Royal Castle in Warsaw.Role in the Risorgimento
Emilia and her family were deeply involved in the Risorgimento movement. During the Five Days of Milan, an uprising against Austrian rule, she hosted members of the Provisional Government of Lombardy at Villa Negroni. This rebellion marked one of the first armed insurrections against Austrian dominance in Italy. Alongside her daughters, Emilia provided aid to the wounded, supplied provisions to the military, and raised funds for the insurgents.Her son, Emilio, died at age 19 while defending the Roman Republic in 1849. He was severely wounded on 29 June 1849 during battles on the Janiculum hill near Porta San Pancrazio, fighting alongside Luciano Manara, and succumbed to his injuries on 1 July 1849, becoming a martyr for Italian independence.
Emilia's daughters, Giuseppina and Carolina, supported the patriot cause by organizing a care center for the wounded at the family home. Villa Negroni evolved into a cultural salon, hosting figures such as Giuseppe Verdi, Arrigo Boito, and Francesco Hayez, while remaining under Austrian surveillance due to the family's patriotic activities.