The Barchessa of Villa Pola, also known as “il Barcon,” is a splendid complex designed by Giorgio Massari. It stands in a five-hectare countryside, enclosed by walls, partially crossed by a road that surrounds its perimeter and along which the current entrance is located: a gate flanked by two large windows with characteristic wrought iron bars.

By walking along a short avenue, one accesses the porch, characterized by majestic columns. The building is oriented from north to south and, once, at the end of the porch was a paved courtyard – known as the “selese” – used for spreading small quantities of wheat or corn to dry in the sun.

The Venetian villa, owned by the Pomini family, was transformed in the late 1990s, at the initiative of a group of entrepreneurs, into a brewery with an attached venue for serving. After thirteen years of operation, the brewery ceased its activities, but the brewery has continued to operate and is still active today.

Today, the Barchessa is in excellent condition. The brewery, equipped with one of the most advanced systems created by the historic company Velo, is running at full capacity and produces various types of beers.

Inside the villa, one can admire the wonderful fresco painted in 1789 by Giambattista Canal, located on the ceiling of the central staircase. The centuries-old mulberries enhance the large garden that borders the Barchessa.

The structure is located just a few kilometers from Castelfranco Veneto, from the Brion Tomb in San Vito di Altivole, and from the Sile Springs in Cavasagra di Vedelago.

The playwright Carlo Goldoni would write of the Baglioni family that they possessed a delightful rural villa called Mazzanzago “and perhaps there is no more pleasant and charming place”.

The property takes its present name from a Bergamo family who first chose this site for their summer retreat. The house then may well have been that built by Antonio Lombardo in 1663; when Antonio Lombardo died, the villa had passed to his brother Alvise, who had it completed (one can see what it looked like in a painting by Luca Carlevarijs). When the place became the property of the Baglioni family, the villa was transformed into an imposing palazzo, but still retained its role as the core of a farming estate.
The decoration of the piano nobile was one of the first fresco commissions undertaken by a very young Giambattista Tiepolo, one of the greatest painters in eighteenth-century Europe. Recounting the myth of Phaeton, the scenes he created marked the emergence of a new language in Venetian painting, which would remain dominant right up to the advent of Neoclassicism. Later in the eighteenth century, Antonio Zucchi decorated the ceilings in the ground-floor rooms: seven fresco tondi and a range of stucco work.

Perched on the hill overlooking Este, Villa Cornaro Farsetti Benvenuti is a historic complex that combines Renaissance, 18th-century transformations, and romantic landscape, maintaining a strong connection with Euganean culture.

Its origins date back to the early 1500s, when Alvise Cornaro, a refined Venetian patron, envisioned a residence dedicated to art and beauty. This period saw the creation of the elegant triumphal arch attributed to Giovanni Maria Falconetto, which still marks the monumental entrance of the villa today.

In the 1700s, the property passed to the Farsetti family, who expanded and redefined the complex according to the taste of the time, maintaining its architectural balance and prestige. By the mid-1800s, under Adolfo Benvenuti, the villa entered a new phase: the large park was arranged, likely following a landscaping scheme linked to Giuseppe Jappelli, master of the Venetian romantic garden.

The result is a scenic park that extends to the hillside pine forest, rich in pathways, perspectives, and natural atmospheres. The complex also includes the villa, greenhouse, and stables, testimonies to the various historical phases and noble residential functions.

Today, Villa Cornaro Farsetti Benvenuti represents a place of great charm, where architecture, nature, and history intertwine in a narrative spanning five centuries, offering one of the most suggestive views of Este and the Euganean Hills.

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.

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

Villa Pojana Miniscalchi-Erizzo-Bettero-Chiarelli was commissioned to the architect Andrea Palladio by the Vicentine Bonifacio Pojana, a member of a family closely tied to the Republic of San Marco. The project, conceived by Palladio in the late 1540s, was completed in 1563, although only one barchessa (outbuilding) from the original design was actually built. The villa was finished in the following century, when the descendants of Bonifacio Pojana had an additional building constructed on the right side, with window mouldings inspired by Palladio's façade design.

The main floor features a large rectangular hall, covered by a barrel vault, which dominates the entire space. Surrounding it are smaller rooms, each covered by different types of vaults, evoking the symbolism of ancient thermal structures and creating a sense of continuity with classical antiquity.

Since 1996, Villa Pojana has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, along with the other Palladian villas of Veneto, recognized for their outstanding historical and architectural value.