Treviso and the Prosecco Hills

The Papadopoli Giol Castle includes: the Castle, the Historical Park, and the Ancient Cellars.
Villa Papadopoli Giol, known as the "Castle," is a palace in English neo-Gothic style, also known as Tudor style, built in the late 19th century by the Papadopoli Counts. The imposing structure of the building immediately catches the observer's eye, while the tall crenellated towers with bow windows, the chimneys masked by pinnacles, and the pointed arches give the impression of being in front of a true medieval castle.

The side of the Castle that faces Piazza Nicolò Papadopoli and the village church is not actually the most important facade (the main entrance indeed faces the park), but it is certainly equally charming. Between the building and the large entrance gate, under tall plane trees, stands the beautiful and large fountain made up of three tiers of basins. The largest, featuring four crouching lions oriented towards the cardinal points, collects the overflowing water which cascades down in jets and sprays from the two upper tiers, supported by a slender central column.

Villa Mocenigo, Garzoni, Martini is a Venetian villa whose construction began in the mid-fifteenth century on behalf of Lazzaro Mocenigo.

The original nucleus, currently identifiable with the noble part, was a hunting lodge in typically Venetian style, consisting of a large central hall flanked by two smaller rooms, respectively to the east and west. From the west side, a grand staircase led to the upper floor, where the bedrooms were located.

The rooms intended for the servants and horses were located about 50 meters to the west, in a rustic building with a well that still exists. In the seventeenth century, the lodge was expanded, connecting the buildings and transforming into a "house for stabling."

In the mid-eighteenth century, the architect Francesco Maria Preti from Castelfranco Veneto intervened on the entire complex, rendering its structure homogeneous while preserving, in the façade, the stylistic differences of the three building bodies.

The current owners of the villa are descendants of the marriages between the Mocenigo and Garzoni families, and later between the Garzoni and Martini families, and it was also the setting for important political decisions of the Serenissima.

The interiors are largely covered in marmorino. A dining room is decorated with an original nineteenth-century pavilion fresco, depicting striped white and blue draperies, creating the illusion of an opening towards an external garden. Other rooms feature more modest friezes.

The villa overlooks a centuries-old park, characterized by a small wood, the last survivor of the forests that once covered the lands of Castello di Godego. To the north of the complex is the barchessa designed by F.M. Preti, with a portico supported by Tuscan columns, and the chapel of the Sacred Heart (formerly dedicated to Saint John), which features a curious false entrance facing the main road of the village.

The Barchessa of Villa Pola, also known as “il Barcon,” is a splendid complex designed by Giorgio Massari. It stands in a five-hectare countryside, enclosed by walls, partially crossed by a road that surrounds its perimeter and along which the current entrance is located: a gate flanked by two large windows with characteristic wrought iron bars.

By walking along a short avenue, one accesses the porch, characterized by majestic columns. The building is oriented from north to south and, once, at the end of the porch was a paved courtyard – known as the “selese” – used for spreading small quantities of wheat or corn to dry in the sun.

The Venetian villa, owned by the Pomini family, was transformed in the late 1990s, at the initiative of a group of entrepreneurs, into a brewery with an attached venue for serving. After thirteen years of operation, the brewery ceased its activities, but the brewery has continued to operate and is still active today.

Today, the Barchessa is in excellent condition. The brewery, equipped with one of the most advanced systems created by the historic company Velo, is running at full capacity and produces various types of beers.

Inside the villa, one can admire the wonderful fresco painted in 1789 by Giambattista Canal, located on the ceiling of the central staircase. The centuries-old mulberries enhance the large garden that borders the Barchessa.

The structure is located just a few kilometers from Castelfranco Veneto, from the Brion Tomb in San Vito di Altivole, and from the Sile Springs in Cavasagra di Vedelago.

Villa Sandi, a splendid building of Palladian style dating back to 1622, is located in the heart of the Prosecco area. Below the villa, centuries-old and evocative underground cellars extend, providing an ideal environment for the maturation and aging of wines. Here, the bottles of the Classic Method sparkling wine Opere Trevigiane are stored to mature, while the two barrel aging rooms host the casks for aging the grand reserves.

The villa and the cellars are open to the public for free guided tours. In Valdobbiadene, Villa Sandi welcomes visitors to its estate in the heart of the historic production area of Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG. Qualified staff guide visitors to discover the wines through tastings in the "Wine Shops," and the exploration of the territory and its products continues at "Locanda Sandi" in Valdobbiadene, featuring dishes of the traditional Venetian countryside and six charming rooms.

The origins of Villa Ancilotto are closely related to the history of the territory of Crocetta del Montello and to the development it has undergone over the last four hundred years. In the 17th century, in the same place where the Villa now stands, there was a tavern-hotel called "Hosteria alla Crosetta," very well-known and frequented due to its proximity to the intersection of four roads, near a branch of the important Brentella canal.

In the early years of the 19th century, Giovanni Marcato purchased the Hosteria from the noble Sandi: later, his son Giovan Battista, taking advantage of the abundant water from the nearby canal, built the first nucleus of a silk mill that became an important industrial venture. When Giovanna Marcato married Count Riccardo Ancilotto, the Crosetta and the adjoining building were transformed into the owners' residence.

The Villa was structured on three floors with a series of openings of varying sizes that lighten the façade and bring dynamism to the entire structure. The first floor is traversed longitudinally by a loggia (with frescoes from the late 1800s) that transmits airiness and brightness even to the adjoining rooms. To the south, there is a large park that embellishes the Villa and envelops it in an inviting and relaxing area. Now owned by the Municipality of Crocetta del Montello, it houses the library, delicately decorated exhibition halls, and since 1978, the paleontology museum "The Earth and Man" with collections from Pasqualetto and Krull. From the very beginning, the museum has benefited from close cooperation with the Ligabue Research Study Center in Venice and over time has acquired the designation of Global Museum for Sustainability. It has annual visitor frequencies of over 12,000. Villa Ancilotto is a hub for artistic and cultural events, a meeting point to revisit history and traditions, and a training and study center open to the needs of the territory.

Highlights of the villa: The body of the Villa presents itself on three floors, with reduced spaces on the ground floor and first floor and a single large hall characterized by exposed wooden trusses on the last floor. In the loggia on the first floor, there are frescoes from the late 1800s, while the remaining rooms are finely decorated with frames outlined by stucco friezes. The tripartite façade features openings of varying sizes that give dynamism and liveliness to the entire structure. The Villa overlooks a beautiful park characterized by an avenue of ancient linden trees.

Highlights of the context: The Villa is located in the Municipality of Crocetta del Montello, in a strategic and central position relative to important historical, cultural, environmental, and landscape sites in Treviso and beyond. It is situated at the crossroads between the hills of Valdobbiadene (a UNESCO World Heritage site), Montello and Piave (historical scenes of the Great War and even earlier of the Most Serene Republic of Venice), the hills of Asolo, and the Massif of Monte Grappa. Additionally, it is just a stone's throw away from the charm of the Dolomites and the magic of the Lagoon.

Villa Soranzo Chiminelli in Sant'Andrea di Castelfranco Veneto is a delightful building from the second half of the 16th century, entirely frescoed on the exterior and main floor by Benedetto Caliari, brother of Paolo Veronese, and his school.

The Villa was erected on an earlier 'domus', and its first owner was Francesco Soranzo, a Venetian nobleman, parish priest at S. Andrea beyond the Muson. During the Second World War, the Villa was occupied by the German armed forces, who used it as a military hospital, and after its liberation by the American allied command. It was in the latter year of the war that the entire property was purchased by Francesco Chiminelli, who began restoration work, restoring the frescoed walls still partially covered in lime. It is also to him that we owe the collection of objects that today make up the Museums of Peasant Art and Tanning.

The Villa consists of the basement floor used as vaulted cellars, a raised main floor entirely covered in frescoes, and the first floor once used as a granary. Due to its collected dimensions and decorative elements, it falls into the category of buildings for holidaying, hunting and literary pursuits typical of mainland architecture, of the 'villa civilisation' of wealthy Venetians.

The Villa houses the Museo Conciario, the Museo Agricolo and the Museo Contadino.

The Villa Lattes complex is owned by the Municipality of Istrana, which acquired it from the Municipality of Treviso in 2004 along with the surrounding lands. In addition to the main building, there are two barns, a small chapel, other contemporary buildings, and a park adorned with two statues by Marinali and busts of the twelve Caesars.

The construction of Villa Lattes dates back to 1715, designed by architect Giorgio Massari, who later became its owner when the commissioner Paolo Tamagnino. After several subsequent changes of ownership, Villa Lattes passed to the Lattes family, to whom it owes its name and many renovations that returned it to its former glory. Bruno Lattes also placed his collection of artworks and family artifacts here, including a collection of carillons and automatons.

The building has two floors, with a central hall that spans the entire body of the building, to which a third floor is added, limited only to the central body, featuring a trifora opening in the hall and a pediment with two sloping wings adorned with late Baroque motifs. On either side of the building are the two barns, whose porticos are embellished with works, such as the fountain of the Putti and the collection of artifacts, including terracotta and stone fragments from the excavation works of the Canal Novo in Venice, incorporated with the renovations of 1938.

On the west side stands a beautiful small church still adorned with period furnishings and decorations, enriched by paintings by Amigoni (“The Immaculate” on the altar and “God the Father in Glory” on the ceiling) and bas-reliefs, including one attributed to Giovanni Bonazza depicting Paolo Tamagnino. The chapel has an octagonal plan with elongated sides.

The villa houses the Carillon Museum and a partnered Info Point tourist information center.

Villa Giustinian – Molon Traverso was built around 1680 at the behest of the Venetian nobleman Girolamo Giustinian, belonging to the “delle Acque” branch, named after the Venetian street not far from Rialto where their residence stood.

From 1711 to 1735, the Bishop of Torcello, Venice, Marco Giustinian spent his summer holidays at the Villa in Campo di Pietra. Upon his death, he left a sum of money by will for the parish of San Mauro at Campo di Pietra.

Consulting the accounting books of the Giustinian family, it is interesting to learn about the production of wine “in caneva de Campo de Piera” and how it was later shipped via river to Venice either for personal use in Calle delle Acque or to be sold in the market.

In March 1792, due to complex testamentary issues, the properties passed to the Querini Stampalia and the Morosini Gatterburg family. The latter subsequently sold off much of what they inherited. “IL DOMINICALE DI CAMPO DI PIETRA,” as the property was called by the Querini Stampalia, experienced a period of agronomic expansions and prosperity, thanks also to the reclamation of some surrounding lands and the raising of silkworms.

In 1851, Count Giovanni Querini participated in the first universal exposition (London) with the silk produced in the Campo di Pietra silk factory, winning an important recognition.

The estate remained with the Querini Family until 1869 when the last family member, Count Giovanni Querini Stampalia, passed away. In his will, he left all his properties for the establishment of the Pia Querini Stampalia Foundation of Campo Santa Maria Formosa, Venice. The Foundation still exists today and opens its museum and library to the public. However, over the years, to maintain the foundation, much of the properties in the Veneto hinterland were sold, along with the Villa of Campo di Pietra.

In 1909, the Villa passed to Giuseppe Tommaseo Ponzetta, who shortly thereafter sold it to the Tagliapietra family.

In 1917, it came under the control of Guido Carretta from Santa Maria di Campagna, who effectively created, in conjunction with the raising of silkworms, an agricultural business of about a thousand hectares with vineyards, wheat, and grain.

In 1918, the Villa, located about 3 km from the Piave river, was occupied by Austrian troops during the final phase of the First World War and was hit by several shells from Italian artillery, suffering heavy damage. Between 1919 and 1923, the complex was restored to its original condition and enlarged with the construction of new cellars.

In 1969, the Villa was registered with the Regional Institute of Venetian Villas, thus imposing a structural protection constraint still in place today.

In 1995, the Molon Traverso Family purchased the Villa and, with courage, commitment, and passion, began a long renovation, restoring it to the glorious times of the Serenissima Republic of Venice. The inauguration took place in August 1996.

In 2015, Villa Giustinian – Molon Traverso was awarded by the Regional Institute of Venetian Villas at the Palazzo Ducale in Venice with the prize “Best Venetian Villa 2015” for the activities carried out and the commitment shown towards the conservation and enhancement of Villa Molon.

Today, the facilities host, as in the past, the aging cellars, the small Osteria, the wine shop with gastronomic excellences, the museum of rural civilization, administrative offices, and spaces dedicated to various types of events.