What if your Legacy Is Made of Stone or Art?

Every family that owns a company faces the question of who will lead next. But some families inherit something very different — a castle, an estate, or an art collection — something that cannot be divided without destroying its meaning. These assets are not only valuable; they are loaded with emotion. They are places and objects that hold memory, pride, and sometimes guilt. And that makes them among the hardest legacies to manage.

When several heirs share a property or collection, the problems begin with the simplest question: who decides? Who can live in the house, use the estate, or lend a painting to a museum? Who pays the insurance, the taxes, the repairs? And what happens when one family branch can no longer afford its share, but the others want to keep everything as it is?

In many European families, such heritage becomes both a symbol of unity and a potential source of resentment. The cost of maintaining a family estate — the roof, the gardens, the staff, the heating — can turn affection into fatigue. Art collections, once the pride of a grandfather, can become logistical and financial burdens when inheritance taxes and conservation requirements are high.

That is why the conversation about shared heritage must start early and be guided with care. Families who succeed in keeping such assets together usually design a clear structure — often through a foundation (fondazione, stichting) or a family holding (società semplice, Société Civile). These structures allow the property to be managed professionally while preserving the spirit of family ownership. But structure alone is not enough: there must also be a living agreement about access, use, and enjoyment. Not everyone can live in the family castle at once — yet everyone should feel a sense of belonging.

As with every family issue, independent guidance helps. An external moderator or family adviser can help transform old assumptions — “this has always been ours” — into new, realistic agreements about what can be sustained, shared, and cherished.

If your family holds such an inheritance — a house, a collection, a piece of history — and you want to preserve both its beauty and your peace of mind, I would be glad to help you explore the right balance between emotion, law, and practicality.