Verona

Villa Dionisi was designed by the marquis Gabriele Dionisi in 1700.

It has a typical large English-style lawn with remains of statues and a cave leading to a “giassara” (an ice-house) adorned with caryatids. Considered the symbol of Cerea by lots of people, it is one of the most characteristic examples of the sumptuous eighteenth-century mansions. The villa houses the Museum of Applied Arts in Furniture.

At Mizzole, which in ancient times was part of the agricultural settlement of the Benedictine nuns of the convent of San Michele di Campagna, you can find Villa Arrighi.

The first architectural structure of the villa most probably dates back to the 15th century, but its elegant and imposing appearance was given to it towards the end of 1600.

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 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.

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.

It is a beautiful and majestic palace dated 22 August 1492 and which was inhabited first by the Medici counts of Verona, later by the Grigolli family, until it was owned by the Bresciani family who donated it to the municipality to become the seat of a nursery school named after "Antonietta Grigolli Bresciani ".

The building, of considerable architectural interest, is supported by face constructions; the ground floor has various faces, the first floor instead has original terracotta floors and ceilings, partly painted with a sharp edge. Built by Luigi Bergamini in 1867, it has a large park and is located in front of the municipal building.

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.