Treviso and the Prosecco Hills

Villa Emo is a Venetian villa built by architect Andrea Palladio (1508-1580) near Fanzolo, within the municipality of Vedelago.

The work, realised between 1556 and 1559, was commissioned by the Emo family of Venice, whose property it remained until 2004. Since 1996, the villa has been included in the UNESCO heritage list, together with the other Palladian villas scattered throughout the Veneto region.

The building consists of a central body, divided into three floors - a characteristic feature of Palladian villas - from which unravel two columned barchesse, the fulcrum of the farm, complemented by two dovecote towers.

The villa is positioned on two perpendicular lines, one formed by the villa itself, and one formed by the avenue, originally completely planted with poplars. The area was crossed by the ancient Via Postumia and the plot of fields followed the grid of the Roman centuriazione. The villa is oriented according to this ancient plot, as can be clearly seen from the entrances to the building, aligned in a long perspective.

The exteriors are essential, the architectural order chosen is Doric, the simplest, and the windows have no cornices. On entering the interior, however, one can see the rich decorations and numerous frescoes that the villa contains, attributed to the painter Battista Zelotti, companion and collaborator of Paolo Veronese.

Ancient, noble 16th century residence built by the powerful Venetian noble family Corner.

It was built as a summer house, a country residence, where one could spend quiet days,  far from the city. It represents the typical elegance of the Venetian villas: the central heart used as a residence, the barchesse on the two sides, the Italian garden, the many cultivated fields.

The majesty of the classicist style, the white colour of the marble. This marvellous building was enlarged and modified over the centuries by the various members of the Corner family. A small jewel, immersed in the Venetian countryside. It bears witness to the beauty of art in all its forms.

Today, part of the villa has been transformed into a hotel, a choice made by the last owners: the Counts Dona' delle Rose.

In this place it is possible to get married and organise cultural and private events. From the gate you can see the great staircase and the statues that protect the entrance and make the rich garden beautiful.

The villa, dating back to the 18th century and built on a pre-existing structure, was originally a country house for Venetian families. In 1968 it was purchased by the sculptor Toni Benetton, who transformed it into a residence and exhibition space for his works.

The structure features a Venetian style, with simple architectural lines. The facades are sober, decorated only by a wrought iron balcony and a triangular pediment. Inside, the ground floor has tiled floors and a "Sansovinic" ceiling, with walls adorned with essential stucco decoration. A living room includes an elegant red Verona marble fireplace, with painted decorations depicting boats.

The upper floors have Venetian terrazzo flooring with stucco also found on the ceilings. The first-floor salon retains four stucco panels that once housed paintings from the school of Marco Ricci.

A long adjacent building houses various spaces: former cellars, a greenhouse, granaries, a restored "caretaker's house," a farrier's room, stables (with stone and wood troughs and wall paneling), and a second renovated residence. To the east extends the barchessa at double height, with offices on the ground floor and an attic area above the portico, decorated with bas-reliefs and a Robbiano medallion. The barchessa ends with a family chapel dedicated to St. Anna.

The villa is set in a park of about 20,000 square meters, with ancient trees, magnolias, a large Lebanon cedar, a central courtyard with a well, and hosts Toni Benetton's "Macrosculture," large works integrated into the landscape.

Currently, it houses:

• The Toni Benetton Museum, in the former cellars and greenhouse;

• The International Academy of Iron, in the former studio of the sculptor;

• The International Documentation Center on Iron and other metals, in spaces adjacent to the villa.