Located in the historic center of Mel in Borgo Valbelluna, the Palazzo delle Contesse was built in the 17th century by Adriano del Zotto, a wealthy Venetian merchant. The name "delle Contesse" comes from Adriano's romantic life, as he first married Countess Elisabetta Papadopoli and then Countess Elisabetta Tiepolo, both belonging to the Venetian nobility.

In the 18th century, the palace was purchased by the Contarini family, one of the most important families in Venice. The Contarini family renovated the palace and decorated it with frescoes and antique furniture. In the 19th century, the palace was acquired by the De Marchi family, who used it as a private residence. It later passed to the Municipality of Mel.

The palace is an example of Venetian urban residential architecture, three stories high, with a stone facade and an inner courtyard. Inside, it houses a series of frescoes and decorations, including a fresco by the painter Antonio Bettio depicting the "Victory of Aurora over Night," located in the main hall of the palace, showing the goddess Aurora defeating the goddess Night.

Today, the Palazzo delle Contesse is a cultural center that hosts exhibitions, concerts, and other events. It is also home to the Civic Archaeological Museum of Borgo Valbelluna.

In the heart of the Venetian countryside stands an architectural masterpiece designed by Giuseppe Gualdo:  Villa Gualdo, Valmarana, Vendramin Calergi now Palazzo Comunale, an imposing residence, with a central body on four floors flanked by two symmetrical wings. The elegance and majesty of the building are enhanced by three scenic staircases and side entrances. Among the treasures it houses is the splendid sixteenth-century lavabo in the atrium, attributed to the workshop of Palladian masters Giovanni Di Giacomo da Porlezza and Girolamo Pittoni da Lumignano. In the noble hall, now the council chamber, five doors with a horizontal entablature frame stucco busts of Roman emperors, probably from the Neoclassical era. The villa also hosts works by U. Coromaldi and Luigi Tarra, gifts from Marquis Giuseppe Roi, and features a permanent exhibition dedicated to Antonio Fogazzaro. The architectural context is enriched by the Little Church of the Heroes (1832), with a painting by G. Busato, and the former convent of San Marco, now belonging to the diocese of Padua, where Fogazzaro wrote the story Pereat Rocus.

Villa Ferramosca, Sesso, Beggiato, Monti, Berti stands on the ancient foundations of a medieval castle in the Barbano area, nestled in the countryside of Vicenza. Historical and architectural studies confirm that, in 1565, the renowned jurist Girolamo Ferramosca commissioned the construction of the villa from architects Giandomenico and Vincenzo Scamozzi, father and son, both central figures in Venetian Renaissance architecture. The project is deeply rooted in the noble Palladian tradition, showcasing both monumental grandeur and refined compositional elegance—qualities that continue to captivate today. The villa enjoyed its golden age between the 16th and 17th centuries, during which time the Ferramosca family, a prominent house of the ancient Vicentine nobility, held the feudal estate of Barbano along with numerous other properties throughout the province. Celebrated for their refined tastes and high cultural standing, the Ferramosca were also granted the prestigious title of Venetian nobility in the 17th century. Through a shrewd policy of strategic marriages, the family allied themselves with other important local lineages, thereby further consolidating their wealth and influence. By the late 18th century, following the extinction of the Ferramosca family, the villa passed first to the Sesso family, then to the Antoni Zaccaria, and finally to its last noble residents, the Beggiato family. Today, after decades of neglect, the villa is experiencing a new season of renewal, thanks to an ambitious architectural and structural restoration. The project, passionately and meticulously led by the current owners, seeks to restore the villa to its original splendor. It also aims to enhance the entire estate, interpreting it as part of a broader cultural and social vision. The ultimate goal is to return this landmark to the community as a place of identity, capable of telling the story of the art, ingenuity, and traditions that shaped centuries of both rural and aristocratic life.

Contacts and Visits

Villa Ferramosca is open to visitors by appointment only, due to ongoing restoration work and in compliance with current safety regulations.

To book a visit: (+39) 349 3531847

In 1316, the Fracanzan family purchased land and buildings in Orgiano, the original nucleus of the current complex. In the following centuries, the Fracanzans participated in the political life of the area and contributed to the reclamation of the surrounding lands according to the grand projects of the Venetian Republic. In the early 1700s, the Fracanzan family, having become one of the most important in Vicenza, commissioned the Lugano architect Francesco Muttoni to design the villa and garden in order to consolidate their image. The villa hosted an important literary salon and was long frequented by Elisabetta Turra Caminer (Venice 1751 - Orgiano 1796), the first female journalist of the time, known for her Enlightenment ideas. The villa was occupied by Napoleon’s troops after the Battle of Arcole, by Austrian soldiers in 1866, by Italian commands during World War I, and by the Wehrmacht in 1945. In 1870, the assets of the Fracanzans were acquired by the Orgian family and subsequently passed by inheritance to the Piovene family.

Francesco Muttoni (1668 – 1747), of Lugano origin, was called to Vicenza in the late 1600s. A Baroque architect influenced by Borromini due to his frequent trips to Rome, he studied Palladio and published an important work “Architecture of Andrea Palladio from Vicenza” with tables and observations. Many villas and palaces in Vicenza from the early 1700s bear his signature. When Muttoni was summoned by the Fracanzans to Orgiano to design the villa in the early 1700s, he had to blend parts of the old medieval buildings with the new constructions in a particular and binding environmental context. The monumental Baroque structure designed by Muttoni, rare in Veneto, is the subject of study for the numerous decorative elements of the Palladian tradition. The original projects of the villa are located in Washington at the Library of Congress and in private Italian archives. All the interiors of the villa are perfectly furnished and testify to the lifestyles of past centuries. On the ground floor, the villa is set around the column hall, which overlooks the billiard room, the plebiscite room with historical memorabilia, and the dining room with period plates and services. The famous kitchen, with collections of utensils and branches, is known for the 16th-century red marble sink designed by the Veronese Farinati, which according to tradition Napoleon wanted to take to the Louvre. On the first floor, the large ballroom, the ceramics room, the bedrooms with canopies, the Napoleon room, the bathrooms, and the large old laundry room are located.

The first document dates back to January 3, 1255, when Bartolomeo Visconti donates the original settlement of the villa to his aunt, Sister Maura. The vernacularization of the name of the abbess "Mater Maura" gives rise to the name of this residence. The definitive architectural development is attributed to the 15th century, while the frescoes inside were executed during the 1500s on commission from the Murari counts of the Court Brà and are attributed to Bernardino India and the school of Paolo Caliari, known as "Veronese."

Excellences of the villa: The villa is of particular interest for its 15th-century architectural structure characterized by three towers and for the 16th-century frescoes that decorate the halls and the family chapel.

The villa dates back to the early 18th century (with an original core from the 16th century) and represents a typical example of the style known as "rustic 700", which is distinguished by its sobriety and purity of lines from the lavish and ornate style of other major residences in the Veneto countryside. According to tradition, it was also built by an aristocratic family in the hinterland of the Republic of Venice as a summer residence. The villa has passed through various noble families: Counts Bonaguro, Counts Vanzo, Counts Caffo, Baron Sturm von Hirschfeld, and others, until, following the common fate of such properties, the lands associated with it were gradually sold and dispersed. In 1978, the residence and park were purchased by the current owners, who restored them with great care and named them "Gioiagrande" for their serene beauty.

Excellences of the villa: The villa is surrounded by a large agricultural estate, with a pleasant landscape and lush vegetation due to the soil's fertility and the abundance of waters derived from the Brenta River through an ancient and still effective canalization system. The extensive park, measuring 25,000 square meters, perhaps designed by the botanist Parolini, is maintained to a perfect standard: centuries-old plants, flowers, shrubs, watercourses, paths and walks, bridges and little bridges envelop and surround the villa, creating a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere.

Excellences of the context: Villa "Gioiagrande" is located in a particularly fortunate position as it is a short distance from well-known centers and cities such as: Bassano del Grappa, an ancient city and birthplace of the painters Da Ponte; Marostica, a walled city famous for its chess game; Castelfranco Veneto, the home of Giorgione; Cittadella, an ancient medieval village; Asolo, a beautiful village set in the hills of the Treviso region.

Villa Sagramoso Perez Pompei was built at the end of the 17th century at the behest of Giunio III, Count of Illasi, and was commissioned to the architect Pellesina, who also worked on parts of the Palace of Versailles, Villa Sigurtà, and the church of S. Nicolò in Verona.

Once the Pompei family extinguished, it was inherited by the cousins Perez and their descendants Sagramoso, who still reside there today. It is located about 200 meters from the center of the village.

It has the appearance of a city palace. It consists of a central body and two wings, long "barchesse", and stables.
The central body, with three floors, features a portico with five arches, alongside which is a double pair of rectangular openings with elegant stone frames. Along the noble floor, a series of windows surrounded by a simple linear stone frame are arranged. The two wings are set back from the main front. The left wing is the oldest part of the complex, dating back to 1615. At the first floor level, it presents a high Doric loggia. Inside, there are large salons, galleries, and rooms decorated with a cycle of 18th-century frescoes. Neoclassical decorations embellish the dining room and the living room on the ground floor.
 
In the large secular park, with an Italian garden spanning 60 hectares, there is a wide pathway 5 km long that starts from the villa and leads to the Scaliger Castle of Illasi. The vegetation appears partly spontaneous, partly pruned regularly. Along the path, one can glimpse a moat that was once a small lake, shaped like Lake Garda.

The eastern-style pavilion that once housed the greenhouses, adjacent to the Italian garden, has been recently transformed into a restaurant.

SAN PELAGIO CASTLE
The imposing crenellated tower was built in the 14th century at the behest of the Da Carrara family, lords of Padua. In 1752, the Counts Zaborra acquired the property, expanded the complex by creating the agricultural outbuildings, and modernized the main wing to adapt it as a noble residence. From here, on August 9, 1918, poet Gabriele d'Annunzio embarked on his insane Flight to Vienna, where he carried out his famous exploits. In the d'Annunzio rooms, everything has returned to how it was then. Other areas host a unique Museum in Europe that traces the fascinating history of flight with immersive multimedia islands that make the visit an emotional experience... here is the charm of this unparalleled Place!

FLIGHT MUSEUM
Inaugurated on September 20, 1980, it is developed in the two wings of San Pelagio Castle, the noble and the rustic. Through thematic sections, it retraces the main milestones in the evolution of the means that have led mankind to discover the sky and space. In the ancient granaries, cellars, and residential rooms of the Zaborra Family, stories of mythical flights, visionary scientists, balloons, airships, airplanes, seaplanes, and spacecraft are told.

D'ANNUNZIO ROOMS
In the summer of 1917, the Zaborra family signed a rental agreement with the Italian army for the establishment of an airfield and the occupation of part of the villa. The apartments on the first floor became the residence of Major Gabriele d'Annunzio. The Rooms, restored according to archival sources, are now open to visitors. They house mementos of the poet-soldier’s life and flight, along with the furnishings of the Zaborra family.

ROSE AND LABYRINTH PARK
A three-hectare park, included in the circuit of the Great Italian Gardens. In April, the wisteria blooms, and in May, the scent of a thousand roses: the Representative Garden between the two wings of the villa, the Secret Garden and its treasures, the Brolo, the Ice House, the Labyrinths, the avenue of century-old hornbeams, and the romantic pond,