Villa Pellegrini Cipolla is a gem of late Veronese Enlightenment that has hosted, throughout its history, notable figures: in the 18th century, during the Battle of Rivoli, Napoleon Bonaparte stayed here, and also the President of the Republic Luigi Einaudi often found rest in its rooms and garden during his visits to Verona. The noble Veronese family of Pellegrini has linked its name to Verona over the centuries, leaving the city with two of its greatest monuments – the extraordinary fresco depicting St. George and the Princess, commissioned to Pisanello for the decoration of the family chapel in Sant’Anastasia, and the equally important one of St. Bernardino, built from a design by Michele Sammicheli – has been based in Costermano with extensive landholdings since the 16th century.

The current palace was built starting in 1760 by the engineer Ignazio Pellegrini, brother of the client Leonardo. Very active in Tuscany, he designed for the family property in Castion a classical villa, but with Rococo reminiscences, distant from the Venetian taste, almost a sort of theatrical machine with statues and pinnacles that serves as a scenic backdrop to the garden divided into large terraces leading from the gate to the villa. The wrought-iron gate, elegantly crafted and supported by two pillars adorned with statues, frames the bright red of the villa's facade at the end of a long avenue, rhythmically accented by contrasting pilasters, which stands out clearly against the green backdrop of the hill and the large park behind in an effect of sober elegance.

Highlights of the villa: The spatial distribution inside is also remarkable, with a columned atrium and monumental marble staircase leading to the honor hall decorated with frescoes featuring expansive landscapes, mythological and pastoral scenes (notable is a fresco by Francesco Morone), perfectly attuned to the Arcadian atmosphere of the whole. Chinese-style decor, stucco frames, and silk tapestries adorn the rooms of the villa. There is also a considerable number of other rooms for various purposes and lounges, in a rational distribution that separates them from one another, preserving charming tapestries and Rococo-style decorations. Among the interiors, particular mention should be made of: the central hall. It is the main body of the villa, decorated with imposing frescoes on the two larger walls, enriched by statues of Hercules, Minerva, Mars, and Diana, completed by Spring in human form hovering over the large ceiling. The Chinese-style room. It is the most original room in the entire complex. The walls and ceiling are elegantly painted on plaster with bright colors; the scenes of leisure life in oriental costumes give the room its name and characterize the environment.

The two-colored terracotta elements of the original flooring add charm and refinement to the area. The White Room: It owes its name to the bright white plaster surfaces that make it exceptionally luminous. It combines masterful stuccoes of landscapes with colorful relief compositions. The villa and park are two bodies with a single soul. The layout of the garden, which connects the human-scaled square of the village of Castion to the Villa complex, resonates with European experiences of the 18th century, particularly Versailles: the well-kept hedges and ancient trees, the geometric arrangement of the various green areas ordered into symmetrical sectors, adorned with vases and statues, all create a highly effective scenic movement that diverges from the typical canons of Venetian taste of the time.

Highlights of the context: 2.5 km away: Golf Cà degli Ulivi: A charming golf course. 5 km away: San Zeno di Montagna, from which you can enjoy a splendid panorama of Lake Garda. 5 km away: Garda, a splendid town directly on the shores of Lake Garda.

The villa, located on the immediate outskirts of the municipality of Padua (in the Brentelle di sotto/Brusegana area), has undergone various building interventions and expansions over the centuries, the sequence of which cannot be reconstructed. Archive documents attest that the lands where the main building and rural annexes developed, probably starting from the 17th century, belonged to the Zambelli family branch known as S. Giacomo dell’Orio, one of the sixty-seven families registered in the Golden Book of the Venetian nobility. As Zambelli property, the villa with its characteristic circular garden and rustic annexes appears in the Gran Carta del Padovano by Rizzi-Zanoni from 1780. In 1816, the property passed to the Vicentine Folco family; it is referred to as Palazzo Folco by Andrea Gloria (Il territorio padovano illustrato, Padua 1862, I, p. 50).

The last heir of the Folco Zambelli family, Matilde, who was born in Brusegana, married a Dalla Baratta; from her, in 1935, the villa and its lands were passed to the current owners, who still reside there and with whom the final arrangement was made. The complex consists of a manor villa with a park and rustic dependencies centered around a courtyard; all of this faces south directly onto the Brentella canal, not far from its confluence with the Bacchiglione, rivers along which the transport of people and goods occurred until the early 1900s. The central block is three stories high, with an entrance door surrounded by Vicenza stone, surmounted by a balcony with columned balustrade. The ground floor, which is accessible, overlooks the park with a portico enclosed by glass and includes a study-library and the old laundry with a fireplace. Two staircases lead to the first floor, structured with a large central hall, from which four symmetrical rooms branch out; the floors are made of Venetian terrazzo; the walls and ceilings are decorated with stuccos, featuring predominantly floral designs.

Highlights of the villa: The villa, park, and rustic dependencies form an "island" within a context that was intensely urbanized in the 1950s and has become an integral part of the city of Padua, from which it is only a few kilometers distant. Although devoid of the surrounding countryside and lacking monumental features, the original layout of the Venetian villa is still perfectly legible in its essential elements, represented by the manor building, the park, and the productive sector (courtyard, stables, granary, animal shelters). Equally evident remains the privileged relationship with the waterway of the Brentella canal, the bank of which is directly accessible from the park. The park features a distinctive circular shape, with an axis marked by two large centuries-old magnolias, statues, and stone benches; at the center, there is a wrought iron well; the most significant element is the double hornbeam in a circle, a favored space for a shaded walk.

Highlights of the context: The villa is close to the center of Padua, which is accessible by public transport or by bicycle. Not far away are the thermal areas of Abano and Montegrotto, the Abbey of Praglia, and the Euganean Hills. The displayed contents have been provided by the owners of the facilities. The location of the villa on the map is provided through an external service and may be approximate.

Nestled in the millennia-old history of Brendola (VI), Villa Vescova – formerly known as Villa Veronese – stands on the edge of the ancient Roman Castrum, in one of the village’s oldest quarters. Once the residence of the Bishop Count, who oversaw the territory from the nearby fortress, the villa takes its name from the episcopal presence that lasted until the sixteenth century. Transferred to private ownership between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the villa was restored in the 1940s by Ugo Veronese, who commissioned architect Dal Conte for the renovation. Neoclassical elements were added to the central structure, while the elegant double staircase and the arched passageway leading to the rear park – still home to centuries-old olive trees – were preserved. Following the death of Veronese’s wife, with no heirs, the villa was donated to the Diocese of Vicenza, which now entrusts its care to the Diakonia Onlus Association. Through the “Cultivating Hope” project, the villa continues to thrive as a place of memory, beauty, and renewal.

The Villa passed into the ownership of the Contarini of San Trovaso and then the Barbarigo of Padua in the 1700s. During that period, Orsetta Barbarigo organized sumptuous parties and performances there. Later, it was inhabited by the Manin, then the Cipollato. Subsequently, the singer Adelaide Borghi-Mauro had it donated to her by an admirer. Between the end of the 19th century and 1955, it was home to other families: Guadalupi, Menin, Rampazzo (1921), and Capuzzo (from 1933 to 1955). It then passed to the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of Blessed Imelda, and is currently owned by the Veneto Region. 

The complex of the Villa, set in a modest park, consists of a central body originally in a square plan, two detached lodges or Barchesse, and an Oratory with adjacent areas on the east side. In the engraving left by Coronelli in 1709, the central body appears to consist of a ground floor, first floor, and a second floor with a loft having square windows and a four-pitched roof. Costa, in his engraving of 1750, shows us instead the second floor with larger proportions and a third floor loft with a cross vault. Currently, the central body has a rectangular plan because in the early 19th century it was enlarged with the addition of small rooms along both sides for the full height. Perhaps this enlargement was the work of architect Carboni, who, and this is certain, added porticoes to connect the two Barchesse to the central body. The left (west) Barchessa or lodge consists of a basement with a vaulted ceiling, three halls decorated with frescoes, and at the front, a portico with five archways now closed off with wooden fixtures. The right (east) Barchessa consists of a hall also decorated with frescoes, stables, warehouses, and on the loft floor, rooms for the staff. It is also equipped with a portico with seven archways, now partially closed off with fixtures and partially (the last two arches) with masonry. The Oratory that currently exists at the southeast corner of the property was rebuilt in 1752.

The villa is located near the city of Vicenza. Villa Godi, Piovene was built in 1597 by the architect Vincenzo Scamozzi. The layout of the central body corresponds exactly to the usual scheme of the Venetian villas of the 16th century: a large central hall, flanked by three smaller rooms on each side. The chapel located on one side of the park, an excellent testimony of the 17th century Vicenza, is attributed to Antonio Pizzoccaro.

Excellences of the villa: The villa has been recently restored to host events. It has service areas and heating. A vast centennial park of about 60,000 square meters, with an avenue of centuries-old plane trees at the back of the villa, allows for moments of pleasant relaxation. Surrounded by a large fish pond, there is ample parking for cars and buses within the park.

The villa's highlights: The interiors are richly frescoed; the loggia is decorated with Roman archaeological landscapes, including an amphitheater, obelisk, and more. The central hall features four episodes celebrating the glories of the Grimani family: war scenes with the burning of a castle (perhaps that of Cologna with its fortress), the coronation of a figure who has laid aside his armor (a Grimani doge), and the construction of a major building (perhaps the fortress of Palmanova). Contextual highlights:

The presence of two other historic Venetian villas: Villa Cainacqua, now Bergamasco Martello (Caselle di Pressana), and Villa Querini-Stampalia, now Baldisserotto (Pressana).

The Villa, located on the left bank of the Brenta River, represents a unique and ingenious example of great Venetian architecture in the late 16th century. The singular construction, dating presumably towards the end of the 16th century (1560-1580), is attributed to the Palladian architect Francesco Zamberlan and completed by the architect Antonio Sardi.

It is characterized by a portico and an Ionic loggia that runs along its entire rectangular perimeter, so that no section of wall ever interrupts the extraordinary pictorial and chiaroscuro effect. The Villa presents, both in its exterior and interior, solutions that, while presupposing Palladian experience, are entirely new and original, making the construction destined to remain an isolated and unrepeatable architectural episode. Once belonging to the Morosini, Cappello, Battaggia, Lampertico, and Vanzo-Mercante families, the Villa is now owned by the Municipality and serves as the town hall.

On the first floor of the South Barchessa is the Municipal Library, whose back wall, frescoed by Master Bruno Breggion, tells the story of the town through images. Near the former Caretaker's House is the senior day center, where conferences, exhibitions, and public meetings are held.

The gardens of Villa Giustiniani cover an area of 5 hectares. Within the historic park, there are rare and ancient trees including a grandiflora magnolia and an extraordinarily large cedar of Lebanon. Spring is the ideal season to admire the hundreds of varieties of antique roses that make up the rose garden, along with other spring blooms including peonies, grasses, and irises. In autumn, the garden is covered with berries (rose hips) of various sizes and colors, and anemones, colchicum, and asters bloom in various hues. Of great value are the citrus collections in ancient Tuscan terracotta pots, particularly the lemons, remarkable for their size and longevity.

The visit, guided by the owners, expert and passionate gardeners, lasts about 1h30m and is tailored to the interests of the visitor.

Upon request, it is also possible to visit the frescoed halls inside the villa, in the 17th-century wing attributed to Baldassare Longhena.

The Garden is open for visits from April 1 to October 31.
Entrance is from Via Ronchi 4, loc. Vanzo di San Pietro Viminario, 5 km from the Monselice motorway exit.