Verona

In the heart of the Valpolicella Classica, the cradle of important wines such as Amarone, stands Villa Novare, a monumental complex of significant relevance, situated in the center of a green basin bordered by wooded slopes and beautiful vineyards. The architectural structure was erected in the first half of the 18th century and consists of both the master villa with a consecrated chapel and a centuries-old park, as well as a winery that is still perfectly functional today.

Highlights of the villa: The interior has undergone many alterations over time, leaving only traces of 17th-century decorations or those more recent from the 18th and 19th centuries. The hall of the Graces, where the two coats of arms of the Mosconi family are visible, spans two floors of the villa, divided by a painted wooden balustrade that separates them into two overlapping horizontal bands: - in the lower part, the use of false ashlar dominates; - in the upper part, fantastic trompe l'oeil architectures can be found, which provide a perspective characterization to the whole. The four seasons and thus the passage of time (with a clear reference to the agricultural context in which it was and still is) represent the main theme of the fresco on the ceiling. By the end of the 18th century, naturalistic complexes also began to spread in Verona in harmony with the fashion of the time (the beginning of Romanticism), which favored the English garden (landscape-oriented, romantic, with exotic plants, avenues, secluded spots, and faux archaeological corners) over the Italian one, which was predominantly green and regular. Following this trend, brothers Giacomo and Guglielmo Mosconi arranged the lands behind the villa, giving them a dual purpose, as a garden and a forest, and built the pond with the little island at its center.

Highlights of the context: Verona, Valpolicella, and its historic residences.

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 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.