Hi, my dearest friends,
Today, I decided to share this post about a place I discovered a few weeks ago. I was there for work, attending a meeting held in this villa, and thanks to someone who works there, I got to take a small guided tour. I had heard about this place before because it's historically significant, but I had never had the chance to visit it. It was a wonderful surprise that brought me great joy. Sometimes these things happen unexpectedly, and then you go home happy to have had the chance to explore.
Today, through my photos, I take you to discover Villa Manin, one of the largest noble residences in Veneto, located a few kilometers from Udine in the village of Passariano. It’s another beautiful place to visit, though I only had a quick tour.
In addition to being a magnificent masterpiece of Baroque architecture, which alone is worth visiting, this villa has played a significant role in Italian and Venetian history. The last Doge of Venice, Lodovico Manin, lived here. In 1797, a major event in the history of Italy and Europe took place here—the signing of the Treaty of Campoformio, marking the end of the Venetian Republic and the cession of these territories to Austria. Napoleon Bonaparte also stayed in this stunning villa for a considerable time.
I was quite fortunate because I visited it almost outside of visiting hours. Normally, the villa is open to visitors for about €8 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., except on Mondays. In this way, I could immerse myself and almost feel like I was going back in time without too many people around.
One thing that definitely struck me is the main facade, which is over 350 meters long, adorned with statues, columns, and bas-reliefs that were intended to represent the strength and prestige of the Manin family.
Unfortunately, inside the villa, there is very little left of the original furniture, as well as paintings and other collections that once decorated this beautiful villa. Most of these items were looted by Napoleon and taken to France.
Fortunately, what Napoleon couldn’t take are the stuccoes that still adorn this beautiful villa’s interior rooms, along with the frescoes that have been restored several times over the years. At least these elements remain, and they are still the jewels of this stunning historic residence.
The villa is surrounded by a beautiful park of more than 17 hectares, a true paradise for nature lovers, which I couldn't visit because a section was under maintenance, likely due to damage from storms in past years.
Imagine, it took more than 50 years to build this villa. The Manin family bought this land, where there used to be an ancient castle, with the intention of building a summer residence to escape the oppressive heat of Venice. However, they continued to develop this country house into a grand mansion as the family grew in power, eventually producing a Doge, the head of the Venetian Republic.
I hope you enjoyed the photos I took, and that in some way, I was able to take you on this journey with me. I look forward to seeing you soon in my next post, and I wish you all a wonderful day!