Founders, promoters, and supporters of the project
Associazione per le Ville Venete - APS
The Associazione per le Ville Venete – APS is the official body recognized by the IRVV and the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia Regions. Since 1979, it has brought together hundreds of Venetian Villa owners. Its purpose is to support, enhance, preserve, and promote the Civilization of the Venetian Villas. Known as “Venezia in Terraferma” (Venice on the Mainland), the Venetian Villas emerged between the 15th and the late 18th centuries, giving rise to the “Civiltà in Villa” (Civilization in the Villa) and ushering in a true cultural and political revolution.
If we consider Palladio and his architectural concept of the Venetian Villa as a "fabrica" (a place of work), we immediately grasp that the Villas were places of action. While they were certainly splendid summer residences, they also had the crucial function of producing consumer goods like grain, wine, and cheese. The Association of Venetian Villas has always aimed to enhance the great heritage of the Villas spread throughout the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions. We strive to communicate to the public—who are drawn to the Villas' monumental architecture and artistic grandeur set within extraordinary, sometimes pristine, landscapes—that these are living organisms, places of action. Exactly as they were in the past. This past serves as a harbinger of the future, as it's becoming increasingly clear how essential it is to rethink our economy, communities, and resources with a focus on true sustainability, opting for perspectives of preservation and respect. For us, preservation and enhancement have always gone hand-in-hand with making the Villa come alive and offering an experience within it. In this sense, the Venetian Villas were ahead of their time, conceived as self-sufficient, spatiotemporal capsules that protected the surrounding landscape, seasonal productivity, craftsmanship, and the community that formed and revolved around them. With this spirit and a strong desire for the future, we organize the Giornata delle Ville Venete (Venetian Villas Day), featuring a variety of activities that allow visitors to gain a true and authentic experience of life in a Villa. This is a forward-thinking step, as life in a Villa reconnects us with the values and lifestyles that modern people are increasingly seeking. The major contemporary theme is psychophysical well-being. We love showing visitors how invigorating and restorative life in a Villa can be, bringing with it timeless values of hospitality, authenticity, and the beauty of places, people, and relationships. And of community. Because the Venetian Villa has always been a place of sharing.
The project is promoted and supported by IRVV – Regional Institute of Venetian Villas
Following the fall of the Republic of Venice, the Venetian Villas experienced a long period of neglect that would last until after the Second World War. Only in the 1950s did some Venetian intellectuals like Giuseppe Mazzotti, Giovanni Comisso, Renato Cevese, and Silvio Negro commit to bringing this extraordinary architectural, artistic, and cultural heritage back into the spotlight. It was thanks to their encouragement that the State established the Ente Ville Venete in 1958, which was transformed into a Regional Institute in 1979 and has since been dedicated to the restoration, enhancement, and cataloging of the Villas in the Veneto and Friuli regions. There are 4,243 such buildings, of which 3,807 are in the Veneto and 436 in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, distributed throughout all the provinces of the two Regions, and their catalog is available online. 15% are publicly or ecclesiastically owned, while the remaining 85% are private. The Institute’s role in supporting conservation, enhancement, and promotion is constantly growing, always in full collaboration with the owners. This has led to thousands of restoration projects carried out directly or by granting financial support to the owners themselves.
Over the years, numerous important publishing projects have been carried out, including the publication of the Veneto Atlas catalog, the catalogs of the Villas in the Venetian and Friuli-Venezia Giulia provinces, as well as those of the frescoes housed in the Venetian Villas from the 16th to the 19th centuries, which illustrate 967 painting cycles.
Over 800 villas are open to the public, constituting a true “diffused museum” that represents a precious part of our past identity. It is everyone’s duty to defend and enhance this heritage for the benefit of all.
The Veneto is a region whose landscape, rich in history, nature, and scenery, holds a cultural and scenic landmark of great importance in its Villas. In the sixteenth century, Andrea Palladio helped shape history with a series of villas. With their agricultural and landscape contexts and the characteristic "barchesse" (outbuildings), they became identifying symbols of work and culture. But it's not just Palladio, as there is a great variety of villa types and locations, from the Brenta River to the Berici Hills, from the Terraglio to the Verona area, and all the way to the far reaches of Friuli. Broad-reaching initiatives, open to the public, like the Giornata delle Ville Venete are crucial opportunities for in-depth learning and knowledge sharing. This knowledge, in turn, fosters a deeper appreciation for the vital need for preservation and enhancement.
Patronized by
Distillati Palladium is a sponsor of the Giornata delle Ville Venete 2025. Its flagship product is Palladium Gin, which is made with Olea Fragrans, an ornamental plant characteristic of the gardens and parks of the Venetian Villas. The gin will have an elegant leading role in some of the experiences offered during the October weekend.
Kid Pass is an organization that has operated nationwide for 10 years with a highly active team of experts, creatives, and journalists. The team develops specialized projects for families with children aged 0-13.
