Excellences of the villa: Benedictine church of 1000 Frescoes del Falconetto (1400) Entrance portal (1501) Well and barchesse of 1500 The crenellated facades of the Villa (1500) The halls of the parties The monumental attic with 360° panoramic view Brolo, garden and courtyard

Excellences of the context: Ancient parish church of Pressana, Villa Grimani in Pressana, Villa Cainacqua in Caselle di Pressana, Archaeological Museum of Cologna Veneta, Walled City of Montagnana, Monastery of San Salvaro, Castle of Bevilacqua.

A masterpiece of the Venetian Renaissance, set in a large park, it houses frescoes by P.Veronese and G. Zelotti, inspired by Ovid's Metamorphoses.

OPEN every first Sunday of the month from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the Mercatino
GUIDED TOURS: market day: 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. or by appointment daily, minimum 4 people

Historical notes
The house on which the Roberti family built their palace was built on the ruins of the Macaruffo castle, of which the medieval tower, later used as a colombara, remains.
In the "Palace," the exteriors, loggia, hall, and entrance hall were frescoed by Zelotti, Fasolo, and Paolo Veronese, with depictions of mythological scenes from Ovid's Metamorphoses and with figures representing the Virtues and Giants.
In the recently discovered frescoes on the upper floor of the Villa, there is a curious interplay between the external landscape and the frescoed one.

The Park and the Forest
The Forest, recently restored, thanks to the help of the Municipality of Brugine, can now be visited. Inside there are botanical and dedicated paths for children.
The 1842 Guide to Padua and its Province, points out that the garden of Marquis Domenico de Lazara in Brugine "was among the first in our province to set the example of the gardens that are called English."
In reality, the actual English park must be dated to 1830, that is, when some of the most important Jappellian gardens, such as Treves de' Bonfili in Padua, Cittadella,Vigodarzere in Saonara, and Meneghini in Battaglia Terme, had already been designed and were being built. Much of the original compositional arrangement has disappeared, the extent of the park area and the brolo, in which the greenhouses and fishpond, covered by the hazel grove, still remain.
There are still scattered here and there among the greenery, relics of ancient brick artifacts, two statues of cherubs, and in the middleground area, the tombstone commissioned by Giuseppe Salom.
The special selection of roses, which can be found along the Villa Park and gardens, deserve attention.

The Villa and the Roberti family
Villa Roberti bears witness to the origins and splendor of the Venetian pictorial and architectural Renaissance.
The Roberti family was one of the most influential in Padua because of the prestige of its diplomatic appointments and the enormous wealth accumulated through its activity as bankers.

Around 1544, Canon Girolamo commissioned architect Andrea da Valle to build the monumental complex.
Andrea da Valle, a contemporary of Palladio and Falconetto, famous for his work on Santa Giustina in Prato della Valle and the Cathedral of Padua, finished the work in 1553. At the same time a group of painters from Verona - Zelotti, Fasolo and others - around 1550, was called in to fresco the exterior walls and interior halls of the Villa.

The Maccaruffo Castle Tower
The 14th-century tower along with the well in front of the barchessa are all that remains of the Maccaruffo Castle. Traces of frescoes with the Carraresi emblem are still visible on the tower. In later centuries the tower was used as a colombara, but thanks to recent restoration it has been restored to its original beauty,and is currently used as an apartment.

The barchessa
The barchessa dates back to the late 15th century. Inside there are two large Renaissance fireplaces, the portico cadenced by eight arches rests on columns softened by capitals with the Roberti coat of arms.

The frescoes of the Renaissance
The Fresco Paintings of the halls and exterior walls of the Villa are certainly among the earliest works executed by the Veronese group of artists.
The Roberti family, portrayed in the two scenes of life in the loggia, welcomes the visitor who, through the vestibule of the Grotesques and Landscapes (the Lagoon and the Euganean Hills) enters the sumptuous Salone del Piano Nobile, characterized by its Sansovinian-decorated ceiling. Zelotti, frescoed eight mythological scenes telling of the loves between gods and mortals. The figures of the Giants and Virtues in the superstructures and the episode of Venus and Adonis turn out to be interesting.
On the upper floor we find the Studiolo, decorated by the frescoes Amor sacro and Amor profano executed by Zelotti and Veronese artists.
The faux mesh tapestry, in imitation of a brocaded damask, gold and silver, that decorates the other rooms represents the first example of a series of replicas of the design module that Paolo Veronese would use in painted textiles in his own canvases beginning in 1552.
On the ground floor can be visited the ancient kitchen with the fireplace, and the floor still with the original slope, which was used to drain water, and the well room with the foundations of the medieval castle and cistern.

The complex stands on a pre-existing structure from the 14th century, likely a fortified tower-house, of which traces remain in the masonry, the crenellated fence, and the base of the dovecote in the southeast corner. The current layout developed in the 16th century when terraced houses were built to the west of the courtyard, suggesting a possible monastic presence connected to the Olivetans active in Sant’Elena since the 15th century.

In addition to the villa, the courtyard, the dovecote, and the brolo, the complex also included a fish pond and a brick barchessa from the late 16th century, characterized by a long series of semicircular arches on pillars and pilasters. The church, located between the main entrance and the service entrance, dates back to between the 17th and 18th centuries.

In 1857, the entire ensemble was reorganized by Achille Casanova, who transformed the brolo into a romantic park of about 8 hectares designed by Osvaldo Paoletti: it features nymphs, caves, a small shrine dedicated to Cavour, a mill, and a Swiss-style house for the gardener. During this period, greenhouses and a lemon house were added, connected to the dovecote.

The facade of the main body was reworked in a Renaissance style, preserving the Gothic portal, while the interiors were decorated with fake coats of arms, drapes, and zodiac motifs in the main hall and in the "Gallery of Fans."

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.

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,

Ca' Conti is a monumental complex of sixteenth-century origin. Originally a Benedictine station, it became the property of the Conti family in 1580. In 1832, Cristoforo Camerini purchased it and it became part of his properties. At the beginning of the 1900s, it was left, along with the surname, by Giovanni Camerini to Giovanni Rusconi, becoming the residence of the Rusconi Camerini family. Surrounded by a wonderful and romantic Italian-style park, enriched with statues and centuries-old plants, it is a place of great charm, where one can admire splendidly preserved seventeenth-century frescoes and stunning decorations by Giovanni Biasin.

Excellences of the villa: Ca' Conti welcomes its guests in a beautifully preserved courtyard. The imposing threshing floor (aia) made of trachyte is surrounded by the barchessa, stables, and other agricultural annexes, which narrate the story of daily life dedicated to work in the countryside. Among its walls, splendid rural-themed frescoes painted on the occasion of Manfredo Conti's wedding in 1632 and the original furnishings surprise visitors who are struck by the magnificence of the hall that leads to the ancient park. The romantic Italian garden with its statues, icehouses, impressive plants, and pond captivates and fascinates those who visit it.

Excellences of the context: Starting from Ca' Conti, it is possible to visit the beautiful Villa Pisani Bolognesi Scalabrin in Vescovana, Villa Miari de Cumani in Sant'Elena, and the splendid castle of Monselice.

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.