Villa da Prato is a small 16th-century Venetian villa nestled in the greenery and tranquility in the center of Caldiero.

Its full name is Villa Da Prato-Fiorini, and it is a country manor house built between the late 15th and the early 16th centuries. On the north façade of the complex, which is the current entrance to the villa, traces of frescoes from the 16th century are preserved, although the most beautiful façade is the south one, characterized by a small loggia with three arches and columns made of Verona marble.

What stands out is the 17th-century brick dovecote, notable for having the cardinal points as its sides. This towers over a courtyard enclosed by two barchesse.

The arrangement of the internal rooms follows the classical models of 16th-century Venetian villas, with a central hall and rooms on the sides.

Today, the villa hosts not only weddings but also corporate and private events, which can be organized in the woods or in the garden.

The Nani Mocenigo villa is one of the Renaissance villas that adorn the Polesine and is considered by Canda, a small center in the province of Rovigo, as the most magnificent among the various residences left by the Venetian lords of the 16th century.
The date of the beginning of construction is uncertain, but accredited documents place it around 1580.
The author is probably Scamozzi, an architect and student of Palladio, but some also believe it to be the work of Longhena.

It overlooks the Tartaro River and presents two facades—one from the 1500s to the north and one from the 1700s to the south; the interior, heavily damaged by a fire in 1946, features various frescoes concentrated in the staircase and in the two front rooms of the main floor.
In Canda, it is said that Villa Nani Mocenigo is linked to the legend of the “Sad Countess” who probably still wanders, as a ghost, through the sumptuous rooms of the residence.
The story dates back to the 1600s when a Countess Nani residing in Venice was left by her beloved.
Desperate, she fell into such sadness that she was thought to have gone mad. Her brother Giovanni ordered her to retreat with her Spanish lady-in-waiting to Canda to find peace and serenity. Months passed, but her grief did not subside. One beautiful day, as if by magic, she became cheerful again and began to organize parties and receive guests. One day the two women left the residence to go to the blacksmith, and someone heard them ordering "rasuri" (razors).
At the receptions, the countess, beautiful and gracious, won the hearts of many men and generously reciprocated, but after a night of love, the unfortunate lover would disappear. It soon began to be said that the countess threw her lovers into the well of razors and that the poor souls ended up in the nearby Canal Bianco filleted like fish. Was it revenge, a pathology, or uncontrollable pain? Who knows, it has never been known, nor will it ever be known. One thing is certain: one fine day, both the countess and her lady-in-waiting disappeared.
Probably a more cunning lover discovered the clumsy game and took revenge according to the saying: “MORS TUA VITA MEA!”

The villa features motifs derived from the Venetian palaces of the second half of the 16th century, both in its tripartite plan and in its façades. The south façade opens onto the main entrance of the park, while the north façade symmetrically opens onto the courtyard and the countryside behind. In the 1781 cadastre, it is recorded as belonging to the Lin family, wealthy grocers of Bergamasque origin who were granted patrician status in 1686, having bought a palace at the Grand Canal from the Mazzoni in 1691 (now Palazzo Morolin adjacent to Palazzo Grassi). Notable are the Lin family's investments in mainland properties: agricultural lands, manorial houses, and villas. In the early 1800s, a financial collapse led many assets to be auctioned off. The villa came into the possession of Ing. Meduna, the Mattiazzi, the Trevisan, and the Bottacin families. It currently belongs to the Santon-Boer family, who have overseen its complete restoration and reside there.

Highlights of the villa: The central body of the villa, crowned by a tympanum and pinnacles, has remained unchanged while the barchesse, originally used as stables and barns, have been recovered and integrated as living spaces. The main façade is adorned with semi-columns of Tuscan order and a balustrade balcony in Istrian stone with a wide serliana. Small oval windows, typical in the 1600s, illuminate lowered attics on either side of the tympanum, which rises above the quadrant of the sundial with two short marble volutes. On the north façade, one can see the protruding chimney pipes between lateral windows and a large central arched window, reminiscent of the openings on the main façade, but without a balcony.

Inside, there is rich decoration of stucco and a cycle of frescoes in the Tiepolo style attributed to Zugno, featuring historical-symbolic subjects with the recurring icon of Dogaressa. The Venetian-style floors in the hall and other rooms are original. All the doors have Istrian stone frames and overdoors decorated with panels and 18th-century stucco. Many ceilings feature Sansovino beams with fragments of original pictorial motifs. The park in front of the villa is enclosed by a gate with columns and statues, a low wall, and a small ditch. Period furnishings.

Highlights of the context: Villa Lin is located on Via Ca' Lin, which intersects Via Castellana in the Trivignano area, a provincial connection between Venice and Castelfranco Veneto. It is the closest visitable Venetian villa to the city of Venice (15 km away). The context in which Villa Lin is situated has significant environmental and cultural interest, also due to its proximity to the cities of Treviso and Padua, as well as to the numerous Venetian villas along the Terraglio and the Riviera del Brenta. The area offers excellent food and wine tours, particularly known for its agricultural and wine production.

The vast eighteenth-century complex of Villa Balladoro stands in the heart of Povegliano Veronese, enveloped in a captivating historical atmosphere. The villa welcomes visitors with a spacious courtyard leading to the elegant central manor house, beyond which the evocative park unfolds.

The layout features an elegant horseshoe shape, and the façade of the residence - once belonging to the Balladoro family - rises three storeys high, culminating in a majestic gable that bears the family coat of arms, flanked by two refined ornamental vases. In the central section, the rusticated portal and the upper opening with its arched pediment draw the eye, while two side plaques commemorate the distinguished guests who once stayed in the villa.

Highlights of the villa: The interiors feature frescoes on the ground and first floors, as well as in the park’s exedra. The villa includes a 23,700-square-metre park with centuries-old trees, statues, and a fountain. Inside the villa are the Archaeological Museum and the Historical Library of Povegliano Veronese. Moreover, the municipal public library is located on the first floor.

Pojega Garden: a green masterpiece combining art, history and wine in Valpolicella

In the heart of the Valpolicella hills, a few kilometres from Lake Garda, lies one of Europe's most fascinating Italian gardens: the Pojega Garden. Commissioned in 1783 by Count Antonio Rizzardi to the neoclassical architect Luigi Trezza, it is famous for its Teatro di Verzura, one of the very few still existing in Italy. A timeless place, where sculpted hedges, paths, statues and panoramic terraces alternate elegantly between classical geometries and breathtaking views of the vineyards. After extensive restoration, the Garden has reopened to the public with a new accessible route and multilingual audio guide, offering visitors an immersive experience of nature, architecture and silence.

Wine and beauty in a single experience

The Pojega Garden is an integral part of the historic Negrar di Valpolicella estate of the Guerrieri Rizzardi family, winegrowers since 1649. At the end of the visit, you can enjoy a glass of wine at the wine shop overlooking the 17th-century courtyard, or choose from a range of tastings that combine the great classics of Valpolicella – such as Amarone and Ripasso – to discover a unique territory.

An award-winning and renowned garden

The Pojega Garden is a member of the Grandi Giardini Italiani circuit, the network of the most important gardens open to visitors in Italy, and is one of the most evocative stops on the Veneto wine tourism trail. Guerrieri Rizzardi is also the winner of the Best of Wine Tourism award in the Architecture and Landscape category, for its ability to combine wine-making tradition with the cultural and landscape enhancement of the area.

An ideal stop for those seeking a break of beauty and tranquillity between Lake Garda and Verona, immersed in a landscape that tells over two centuries of history.

The current villa was built in 1776 by Carlo Maffei and the architect Pellesina. The construction is defined as elegant and was completed in the early 1800s. It has frescoes by Andrea Porta from 1786 that depict landscapes of the village. In front, there is a garden with a centuries-old magnolia and a small park to the north of the villa.

The main body, with a rectangular plan, raised on three floors, has the main façade facing south. This is divided by seven axes of openings, with the central one on the ground floor featuring an arched portal framed by two Tuscan pillars.

The west side of the villa extends into a wing where the noble floor is marked by a loggia (partially enclosed today) with three arches featuring rustic stonework on the arches and supporting pillars, connected by a stone balustrade. This section is perpendicular to a fragment of an unfinished wing, adjacent to the barchessa with an arcade on rusticated pillars. The barchessa is then completed by a pigeon tower, beyond which there are other rustic buildings of lesser interest.

The rear façade of the villa, facing north over the small park, shows similar characteristics to the main façade, but lacks the loggia in the adjacent body.

The interior of the villa features the traditional tripartite layout with a connecting hall. The one on the ground floor is decorated with architectural quadratures that, in the four large panels of the long walls and in the four over-doors, enclose frescoed landscapes by Andrea Porta, dated 1786.

The patrons of the renovation of the complex in the early 18th century were the Maffei counts, who were succeeded by the Bevilacquas, proponents of other works, and then by other families.

The villa has been the municipal seat since 1991.

In Maser, in the heart of Veneto, thousands of visitors come to discover a place that has united landscape and humanistic values for centuries.

An experience to be traversed slowly, allowing oneself to be guided through frescoed halls, historic gardens, and suggestive views.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site where the genius of Andrea Palladio, the colors of Paolo Veronese, the material of Alessandro Vittoria, the vision of Tomaso Buzzi, and the agricultural vocation of the estate have intertwined through the centuries, granting us the privilege of beauty and unforgettable emotions.

There are many proposals to experience it: thematic paths, tastings, special events, concerts, and visits with all the time needed to enjoy the suggestions.

Villa di Maser is a perfect synthesis of Villa Veneta, inhabited by the owners who keep alive a productive ecosystem in the natural context of the farm.

Visits can be conducted autonomously, with scheduled guided tours and exclusive experiences and openings available upon request.
You can visit: the noble floor with the cycle of frescoes by Paolo Veronese, the garden of the Nymphaeum, the Palladian gardens, and the stables.

The Tempietto del Palladio, the Historic Gardens, and the private apartments, are accessible with guided tours (on schedule and upon request).

Available year-round are educational paths for schools of all grades (by appointment only).

In the historic stables, in an original Wine&Book Shop, guided tastings of wines produced by the cellar are available, along with many other local products, publications, and souvenirs.

Villa Carlotti

Built in the 15th century as a country retreat for the lombard Vimercati family and enlarged in the second half of the 16th century, the house passed to the hands of the wealthy and well-known Carlotti family in 1601 thanks to an exchange between families. The villa was completed and embellished with a beautiful garden and statues in 1632. In 1635, the family received their royal title from the Grand Duke of Tuscany and they started to undertake major building works to renovate and expand the Villa. It was officialy recognised as a Palace due to its size and the number of cultivated fields around it. In 1920, Francesca of Canossa decided to give it to the local community, however we had to wait until 1937, when the Villa was finally bought by the town council of Caprino Veronese and since 1952 it houses the town council offices.

Museum

The ground floor of the elegant Palazzo Carlotti houses the city museum, which is the result of the wish of professors Solinas and Marangoni and their group of researchers, to have a permanent place to display local historical artifacts. These were collected over the years and range from prehistoric times to the present day. The museum includes a section with objects from WWI. The most remarkable room is the “Sala dei Sogni” with its grotesque frescoes, but the highlight of the collection is the 14th century “Compianto” (mourning sculpture) founded in the ancient church of Santo Sepolcro in Caprino.