A Renaissance luxury villa with pool near Venice - CLASS LISTED/LANDMARKED BUILDING

OVERVIEW Villa Emo Capodilista

Set on the borders of the idyllic landscape of the Euganean hills south west of Padua, this magnificent villa dating back to the 1500’s was once the hunting lodge of the aristocratic Capodilista family. It was fully restored in 2008, the completely revisited interior decoration is the work of Paris based interior designer Anna Guarini.

The villa, accomplished in 1568, was designed and decorated by the architect and painter Dario Varotari, a pupil of Veronese. Originally planned as a hunting lodge it was also used as a theatre because of its scenic qualities. Lately it starred as Portia’s house in the 2004 movie version of Shakespeare’s the Merchant of Venice with Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons and Joseph Fiennes. Today the villa belongs to a direct descendant of the family, Umberto Emo Capodilista, who meticulously restored this gem of Italian Renaissance architecure.

Stone lions guard the tall villa gates, the drive winds up through the vineyards of the renowned wine estate La Montecchia. La Montecchia comprises the Villa Emo Capodilista, a medieval castle, further four guest apartments, the cellars and the offices of the vineyard.

The villa is truly unique because of its perfectly square shape with 2 storeys of loggias on all fours sides of the building. 4 rooms on the ground floor and identical 4 rooms on the first floor open up onto the loggias. Each room is decorated with exquisit frescoes. There is for instance the so-called „room of the villas“ which depicts all the villas owned by the family.

Adjacent to the Villa Emo Capodilista is an 27 hole golf course. You will also find an olympic sized pool at the Golf Club. In the next village is the Michelin 3 star Le Calandre.

Amenities and services

Floorplan of the villa

Basement
Kitchen
Breakfast room
Bathroom
Laundry
2 WC
Changing room and shower

Ground floor
Living room
Dining room
Double bedroom with bathroom
Double bedroom with bathroom (one floor below)

Upper floor
Drawing room with TV, DVD and stereo sound system
Study
2 double bedrooms, each with bathroom
1 single

Mezzanine
Double bedroom
Single bedroom
Bathroom

Garden :

Italian garden surrounding the house, the vineyards of the estate are beyond
Pool (3x6m) with acqua massage and counter-current system in a clearing in the grounds of the villa
Comfortable garden furniture
Garage for two cars

ESTATE: La Montecchia

A wine estate in Venetia

A precious jewel set in a legendary landscape – might yet be the most apt definition of La Montecchia, a wine estate which lies just south of Padua and on the borders of a National Park, within easy reach of such cultural meccas as Venice, Vicenza, Verona, Ferrara, Mantua and Rovigo.

The owner of the Montecchia estate, Count Emo Capodilista, a trend-setter in the Veneto, has restored the individual cottages on the estate with flair and modern comfort. Each house has a personality of its own and its own garden where you will want to wine and dine.

Adjacent to the estate lies th La Montecchia golf club which has a large pool and two convenient restaurants.  The pool is open to guests 6 days a week, from Tuesday to Sunday.

Your busy schedule hunting down the works of famous artists and architects needs to be punctuated by memorable meals at local trattorias, for the best of Italian cooking.

The wine from La Montecchia has increasingly been winning accolades from leading wine critics all over the world. In 2008 their wine Donna Daria was awarded the highest Italian qualification, the „tre bicchieri“ (three glasses) of the guide Gambero Rosso Slow Food. Guests can freely taste and buy the wines of La Montecchia on the premises (special rates for guests).  La Montecchia is a medieval hamlet which grows lively at the time of harvest.

In 2012 the La Montecchia estate fulfilled its dream of exclusively using solar energy, produced by a large number of panels invisible to the eye as they spread out over the flat roof of the wine cellar. Well done La Montecchia!

Grottoes: From April to October every Thursday at 10am (except national holidays) the owners of the nearby  estate Frassanelle, will take you on a guided tour of the premises. They will give you some history of the Papafava dei Carraresi family, descendants of the Lords of Padua and some information on the flora and fauna found in the park. The tour will include a visit of the villa and the family chapel. Highlight of the tour are the surprisingly large artificial grottoes built at the end of the 19th century under the main villa. Visits in english.

ACTIVITIES

• The great cultural wealth of the Veneto region and its diversity is one of the main interests of the journey.
• The Venetian Villas: More than 3,000 villas were built in the hinterland of Venice between the 15th and 19th century.  Some are open to the public.  The most famous are the Palladian villas such as Villa Barbaro at Maser, Villa Emo at Fanzolo and La Rotonda near Vincenza.  Do not miss the Villa Valmarana “Ai Nani” with frescoes by Tiepolo, Catajo castle and villa Barbarigo with its baroque garden and a maze of boxwood.
• Major cultural centres of northern Italy: The strategic position of La Montecchia make easy visits to Padua, Venice, Vicenza, Verona, Ferrara, Lake Garda, Este, Montagnana, Monselice or Arqua’ Petrarca. Each of these provincial towns offers a multitude of rewarding cultural visits.
• In Venice you will have the opportunity to visit any of the 84 churches present in the city, including of course the Basilica of St. Marco, which stands next to the Doge’s Palazzo, one of the main landmarks of Venice. You can also visit the islands, such as Murano, famous for its beautiful hand blown glass.
• 40 km from Venice, you will find Padua . If you had to choose one thing to see, it would be the Cappella degli Scrovegni, a chapel entirely painted with frescoes by Giotto in the 14^th century. This is considered the work which marks the beginning of the Renaissance. The main museum of Padua exposes the Emo Capodilista collection, given to the Municipality of Padua by the owners of La Montecchia. The Palazzo della Ragione (Palace of Reason), a surprising builing which rises above all the rest of the historical center of Padua exposes  another gift made by this family to the municipality, a sumptuous wooden horse.
• At Vicenza you will be dazzled by Palladio’s genius. The beauty of the Olympic Theatre, an embodiment of Andrea Palladio, the Palladian Basilica, another of his masterworks, or the Loggia del Capitano. The small streets of this compact city want to be explored on foot, which will bring an exciting reward at each 20 steps you take.
• The city of Verona contains many treasures: start with the Roman monuments, such as the Roman Arena. Garden lovers will want to visit the Giardino Giusti. The San Zeno church will stay with you for long. Every day the Piazza delle Erbe, a beautiful square in the center of town has a colourful market.
• Asolo is a small town, famous for its lace and silk weaving . It is also resplendent with monuments, such as the remains of an amphitheatre and an aqueduct, the Rocca (castle of the 12th early 13th century), or you can visit the Palazzo della Ragione which has now become the museum of the city. In the last century it was a privileged resort by artists and writers such as Hemingway and Browning and the famous Eleonora Duse.
• The town of Bassano del Grappa is located in the heart of Veneto at the foot of the Alps. The main productions of Bassano are white asparagus, ceramics, and of course grappa.  You must see the Cathedral (Duomo), the Castello Superiore (Upper Castle), or the Church of St. John the Baptist.
• The Euganean Hills (protected since 1989) is located south of Padua. There are many small towns to visit such as Este, Montagnana, Monselice and Arqua ‘Petrarca.  And let yourself be tempted by small local trattorias!
• The thermal baths of Abano: Only 3km from La Montecchia is the town of Abano Terme, a spa where mineral-rich waters emerge at a temperature of 70°C to 80°C. We recommend a day at the spas of one of the luxurious hotels.

RATES

GUEST REVIEWS, Villa Emo Capodilista, La Montecchia

LOCATION

La Montecchia lies 15 km to the south-east of Padua, bordering the regional park of the „colli euganei“ and very close to cultural highlights as Venice, Vincenza, Verona, Ferrara, Mantova and Rovigo. You will also want to visit this region to see the famous Palladio villas.