Turning cultural heritage into long-term value

Over the centuries, the villa has been continuously reshaped. From the Contarini branch to the Guizzetti, Della Rovere and Nenzi families, each generation altered its physical form. The 19th century reinforced its productive agricultural role. During both World Wars, it functioned as military headquarters and suffered significant damage.

In 1954, the complex was converted into an orphanage, resulting in radical structural changes, including the reconstruction of the eastern barchessa in reinforced concrete and the alteration of the historic garden. After abandonment in the 1980s, a restoration in 1999 transformed it into a hotel, later closed following the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Summer 2024, a new chapter for the villa was initiated. The core of the project is to reinterpret and narrate the tradition of hospitality embodied in the Venetian villa, transforming it into an international hotel destination that welcomes guests from around the world, while contributing to the revival of the cultural landscape of the Venetian mainland.

Through research into Venetian villa culture and the site’s layered history, we defined five guiding principles for the future hotel:

ARISTOCRATIC EASE

CELEBRATION & INTIMACY

NATURE AS SETTING

SHARED EXPERIENCES

SLOW LUXURY

These concepts structure the branding framework and inform all architectural, landscape and interior design decisions.

In the first period, the renovation, outdoor paving, landscape and parts of the rooms transformation has shown initial results. Interior design of the sample rooms for suites in scuderie and villa rooms is completed; the one reception and public areas are in progress.

We are excited to announce that all new constructions and landscape interventions have received formal approval from the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio, including permission to build new Orangerie within the Protected Monument Boundary. We are looking forward to a new Orangerie, a new spa & suits building and a Pergolato in the second period.

This project is not just about heritage preservation alone.

It is about reactivating a cultural landscape, carefully, precisely and for the long term.