The Pisani family of Santo Stefano, responsible for the construction of the villa, was an important branch of the Pisani lineage, an ancient Venetian patrician family. They became immensely wealthy during the fourteenth century thanks to commerce and real estate income, and in the fifteenth century, they became owners of a large estate in the lower Padua and during the same period began the construction of the grand Venetian palace in Campo Santo Stefano (the current "Benedetto Marcello" conservatory), which was completed only in the eighteenth century. This latter century was the family's golden age, reaching the highest offices in the Republic of Venice. Alvise Pisani (1664 - 1741) was an ambassador at the court of the Sun King, who was the godfather of one of his sons, and was later elected doge in 1735. But decline was already on the horizon: the collapse of the Republic (1797) and later the vice of gambling drove the Pisani into ruinous debt. For this reason, they were forced to sell the villa to Napoleon Bonaparte, who became King of Italy in 1805, on January 11, 1807, for 1,901,000 Venetian lire.

The villa was then gifted by Emperor Bonaparte to his stepson Eugène de Beauharnais, viceroy of Italy, who commissioned a series of modernization works that changed the appearance of many rooms in the residence and the park.

In 1814, the fate of Europe, decided at Waterloo, brought the Habsburg imperial family to Villa Pisani, now the rulers of the Lombardo-Veneto kingdom. The residence thus became a preferred summer retreat for Empress of Austria Maria Anna Carolina and hosted the entire elite of European aristocracy, from King of Spain Charles IV, to Tsar of Russia Alexander I, from King of Naples Ferdinand II, to King of Greece Otto, and many others. The brilliant courtly atmosphere came to an end in 1866, when Veneto was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy. The Villa did not become part of the crown properties of the House of Savoy but instead became state property, thereby losing its representative function. No longer inhabited, it became a museum in 1884 and was visited by figures such as Wagner, D'Annunzio (who set a crucial scene of his novel "The Fire" there), Mussolini and Hitler (whose first official meeting took place here in 1934), Pasolini (who filmed a scene of his movie "Porcile" in the villa and the park).

The noble floor, consisting of thirty rooms, preserves frescoes, paintings, and original furnishings. A great splendor is achieved in the ballroom, located at the center of the building. Giambattista Tiepolo, the leading exponent of eighteenth-century painting in Italy, frescoed the Glory of the Pisani family on the ceiling, a masterpiece that survived by miracle, since in the early nineteenth century, it was about to be removed as part of the grand project of modernization of the building wanted by Eugène de Beauharnais. Of particular interest is the Napoleonic apartment, rich in treasures: the grand canopy bed surmounted by the emperor's initial, the splendid chests made by the Lombard inlayer Giuseppe Maggiolini, favored by European courts, the monochromes of Giovanni Carlo Bevilacqua narrating the myth of Eros and Psyche, and the precious Empire-style furniture made especially for Villa Pisani. Inside the Dining Room, the table is set with a service of dishes used by the Napoleonic court.

The park, winner of the award "Most Beautiful Park in Italy 2008", occupies an entire bend of the Naviglio del Brenta, covering as much as 11 hectares with an external perimeter of about 1,500 meters. It was created based on a project by the Padua architect Girolamo Frigimelica de' Roberti. In the eighteenth century, the spectacular view was enhanced by broderies with large colossal statues on either side. The organization of the park for long perspectives recalls the French models applied by André Le Nôtre at Versailles and intersects with the Venetian tradition of the walled garden, open through portals and windows that extend the views over the Brenta. The Austrian nineteenth century will be characterized, however, by great attention paid to potted and planted botany, with tropical greenhouses and the inclusion of large tree specimens, before the revival of the '900 introduced long box hedges and the large water basin of the parterre.

The villa belonged to the noble Pantz Family, counts of probable Bohemian origins documented by the splendid coat of arms featuring an eagle. The current layout of the villa dates back to the 16th century, but the arrangement of an earlier, older construction cannot be ruled out. The main façade is characterized by a large porch that extends across the ground floor and the asymmetrically placed loggia above. The porch is vaulted and defined by columns with Ionic capitals in stone. The loggia on the first floor develops with six full-arch arcades with stone rings and keystone set on monolithic columns with bases resting on a stone cornice-sill. The refinement of the workmanship suggests cultured local craftsmen. The projecting roof beams, made of wood, rest on shaped brackets in local stone. The structure of the eastern portion of the building has been restored with part of the original lime plaster and corner decorations being recovered. In the main hall, characterized by the loggia, which is a clear reference to the Venetian entrance hall, and in the ground floor hall, two large bricked-up fireplaces have been restored. The philological restoration work has allowed the noble dwelling from the 1500s to be returned to its original appearance, which had been concealed by inappropriate interventions and lime repaints. The brolo (land associated with the villa, including outbuildings and a porch), completely enclosed by a stone wall featuring a now-rare entrance marked by a portal with stone jambs and architrave, is undergoing conservative restoration in its original design and rearrangement with appropriate pavements and vegetation.

Villa highlights: The complex of Villa Pantz, its walled brolo, the rare portal, and its outbuildings constitute an “island” within the small center of Lentiai. Still intact, near the square, it has not suffered the effects of the prevailing commercial-tertiary urbanization that besieges the center. The brolo is entirely enclosed by walls made of mixed stone of various sizes and lithological types, assembled with lime mortar. The resulting texture is enhanced by the coloration of the different lithological types. The top is protected by stone slab covers with joints that partly approach on drainage tiles. An entrance archway with stone jambs and frames enhances the entire complex.

Context highlights: The villa and its walled brolo urbanistically define an island adjacent to the main square of Lentiai, a residential center that developed in opposition to the ancient military role of the County of Cesana, adjacent to the bridge over the Piave River in a strategic position for defense and territorial control. Nearby is the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, a construction with a clear Renaissance layout erected at the end of the 1400s and enlarged in 1568. The elegant and majestic interior features three naves divided by airy arcades. In the compartments of the sumptuous wooden ceiling and in the altarpieces, stories of Mary painted by Cesare Vecellio and Palma the Younger can be found, commissioned between 1577 and 1579 by a rich and cultured patron, likely the Bishop of Ceneda, as a probable ex-voto for surviving the plague of 1576.

The villa is open for visits by appointment, as it is a private residence.

Abbot Farsetti called the architect Paolo Posi from Rome, who designed the majestic palace in Rococo style, adorning it with thirty-eight columns from the Temple of Concord in Rome.

The abbot also had a wonderful garden built, a botanical garden of considerable size and interest, citron orchards, greenhouses, groves, and a maze. On a small hill formed from the excavated material of an oval pond, he erected a small temple that depicted the Roman baths. He then constructed a large earthen embankment (also oval) that he surrounded with a row of yews shaped in an arch to evoke a Roman amphitheater. Nearby, he recreated the remains of the temples of Diana and Jupiter Thunderer.

From all this work, today only the main palace, the guesthouse, two citrus greenhouses, and the stables remain.

The Palazzo dei Patella is an imposing building constructed during the Renaissance, featuring a mixed Venetian-Ferrara architectural style. The majestic and well-proportioned building has two facades that are quite different from one another. The one facing the Adigetto canal has rather austere features emphasized by the rustication around the windows and the arched doors. The rear facade, more solemn, presents five full arches and a triforium in the center of the first floor, certainly of Venetian origin.

Excellences of the villa: The building has been home to the municipality of Villadose since 1923. On the ground floor, there is the museum of the "Roman Centuration," which houses about 400 artifacts collected from the great Roman centuration identified in the countryside between Adria and Rovigo.

The Archaeological Group of Villadose has set up, on behalf of the Municipality, "the Educational Archaeological Exhibition on the Roman Centuration," which only displays the artifacts collected from the aforementioned centuration and is hosted in the ancient residence of the Patella family, which has been the Town Hall since 1923. The Patella family settled in Rovigo and then in Villadose after Borso d'Este invested them with the fief of Villadose in 1470. The building can be dated between the late 1500s and early 1600s and shows influences from Ferrara. The municipal territory of Villadose is entirely occupied by the ancient agrarian layout, and within the grids of cardines and decumani, as many as 108 archaeological sites from the Roman era have been identified. The rooms on the noble floor are also worth visiting.

Excellences of the context: Villadose is located on the central connecting road exactly halfway between Rovigo and Adria, which are easily reachable. It is also crossed by the Adigetto river, and rural architecture villas are remembered that stretch around it from the district of Canale di Villadose to that of Cambio di Villadose. Not far from the center, we remember Villa Frassino, a villa that is now a venue for conventions and weddings, featuring the oldest Frassino excelsior plant in the Province of Rovigo.

Villa Ferrian, located in the Euganean Hills with a panoramic view of the valley, is a historical complex of great architectural and landscape interest. The presence of a pigeon tower, derived from an ancient defensive observation structure, and the irregular arrangement of the property's buildings – villa, barn, farmhouse, and pigeon tower – suggest very ancient origins. According to studies by architect Piera Treu, the original core may have been a tower house linked to the defensive system of the castles of Boccon and Castelnuovo, dating back to the 11th century.

One of the most characteristic elements of the complex is the internal courtyard, surrounded by buildings historically designated for residence and agricultural activities. Of particular value is the ancient community well, once used by the residents of the district. The structure features unusual extraction openings on different levels, including an elegant stone and brick entrance open in the retaining wall of the embankment.

The villa also enjoys a privileged location, with wide views towards the Berici Hills and an environmental context of great value. Located in the Regional Park of the Euganean Hills, it is surrounded by nature trails, the cycling ring of the Euganean Hills, historic Venetian villas, and numerous wineries that enhance the region's food and wine tradition.

The Valverde is a rural courtyard consisting of a group of buildings organized in a courtyard system and closely linked to agricultural production. The oldest part dates back to the early 16th century when the interests of the great Venetian merchant families began to shift towards the mainland, with the development of a new and important agrarian economy. The manor house, which is the oldest part of the courtyard and is still inhabited by the owners, retains its original beauty with large stone chimneys, painted coffered ceilings, and friezes from the school of J. Ligozzi.

The entire complex, including the homes of the lavorenti and the spaces for production activities, such as the tinazzara, the historic cellar, and the chapel, underwent an important restoration that began in the early 1960s and is still ongoing.

The courtyard, once occupied by a sunny brick yard, is now a garden rich in plants and fragrances.

The villa can be visited only by appointment at tel +39 045 526499.

The Villa Lattes complex is owned by the Municipality of Istrana, which acquired it from the Municipality of Treviso in 2004 along with the surrounding lands. In addition to the main building, there are two barns, a small chapel, other contemporary buildings, and a park adorned with two statues by Marinali and busts of the twelve Caesars.

The construction of Villa Lattes dates back to 1715, designed by architect Giorgio Massari, who later became its owner when the commissioner Paolo Tamagnino. After several subsequent changes of ownership, Villa Lattes passed to the Lattes family, to whom it owes its name and many renovations that returned it to its former glory. Bruno Lattes also placed his collection of artworks and family artifacts here, including a collection of carillons and automatons.

The building has two floors, with a central hall that spans the entire body of the building, to which a third floor is added, limited only to the central body, featuring a trifora opening in the hall and a pediment with two sloping wings adorned with late Baroque motifs. On either side of the building are the two barns, whose porticos are embellished with works, such as the fountain of the Putti and the collection of artifacts, including terracotta and stone fragments from the excavation works of the Canal Novo in Venice, incorporated with the renovations of 1938.

On the west side stands a beautiful small church still adorned with period furnishings and decorations, enriched by paintings by Amigoni (“The Immaculate” on the altar and “God the Father in Glory” on the ceiling) and bas-reliefs, including one attributed to Giovanni Bonazza depicting Paolo Tamagnino. The chapel has an octagonal plan with elongated sides.

The villa houses the Carillon Museum and a partnered Info Point tourist information center.