THE VILLA
THE STORY
Villa Sesso Schiavo, near the center of Sandrigo, is a splendid example of a 16th century Venetian Villa.
Built from 1570, in occasion of the wedding of Silvio Sesso with Virginia Da Porto, the original body consists of four large frescoed rooms, and a large loggia.
Behind the first building stands the manor house of the ‘700, which retains intact furnishings and decorations, used by the inhabitants until the early decades of the twentieth century, and a Barchessa of the ‘800.
The complex, which remained to the Earls Sesso until 1832, also includes an little church of the 18th century and, in the second barn, the ruins of an old spinning mill. It is surrounded by the beautiful courtyard-garden and farmland, for over 15 thousand square meters of greenery.
The Villa, passed to the Schiavo family and used as a British military hospital during the First World War, then fell by descent to the Forni and the Nardone. In 2020 it was purchased by the current owners, the families De Toni and Bellotto.
The structure has undergone few changes, overall and in detail, preserving intact its fascinating historical, artistic and documentary value.
VILLA SESSO SCHIAVO, HISTORY,
WOMEN AND MEN, YEARS
The loggia of the '500
The four original rooms of Villa Sesso Schiavo, with the sumptuous outdoor space, immerse the visitor in a vivid picture of the splendour and taste that enveloped the ancient life of the lords of Vicenza in their possessions of the countryside.
The frescoes of mythological, allegorical and historical character, a sixteenth-century work by Giovanni Antonio Fasolo and his workshop, mark with their themes the succession of majestic environments. We find the Sala del Baccanale, the Sala dei Quattro Elementi, the Sala delle Virtù and finally the Sala della Storia, with the imposing lyre-shaped fireplace and the portrait of the noble Silvio Sesso in corazza, a tribute to the military vocation of the family.
The Loggia with six Doric columns faces the garden and is decorated by the heraldic coat of arms of the Sesso and two depictions respectively of Hercules and Caco and Perseus holding the head of Medusa. The entrances to the halls are surmounted by female portraits enclosed in painted shells.
The residence of the '700
The house adjacent to the body of the sixteenth century, more recently, is an authentic spontaneous museum of the lifestyle reserved for the wealthy classes between 1700 and the early decades of the twentieth century. From the service rooms to the elegant living rooms and the refined bedrooms, the rooms of the house tell in a genuine way, as in well-preserved period photos, the comforts and occupations of the Schiavo, prosperous merchants who bought the villa from the now indebted original owners, in the middle of the nineteenth century.
Furniture, accessories, décor and everyday objects allow you to see, touch, relive customs and customs of that time, in images crystallized over time, from the gramophone to sanitary ware, to agricultural or kitchen tools.
Also interesting are the remains of dressings and sanitary items left in the building from the years when a military hospital was hosted here, during the Great War. This large house stretches seamlessly into the Barchessa Rustica, which in turn leads to the garden of the resurgent.
THE LITTLE CHURCH
Among the most evocative spaces that characterize the complex of Villa Sesso Schiavo, we find the church dedicated to San Lorenzo, to which you can also access directly from the road, as it is located along the path of the outer fence.
Built in the 18th century as a place of prayer and liturgies for the inhabitants of the mansion, it presents itself as a room dedicated to religious worship that is intimate and sober, embellished, on the altar by the richly painted altarpiece.
THE SPINNING MILL AND THE LEMON HOUSE
Not just an aristocratic residence. Over the centuries and in the best tradition of the Venetian Villas, Villa Sesso Schiavo has been the centre of various economic and productive activities, starting with agricultural activities and the transformation of the products of the land.
Among these stands out the old spinning mill whose remains can be observed and visited along the southern barn, and among which the large rectangular stone basin strikes the eye.
Adjacent to the old premises of the mill we find the ancient lemon house, a small structure before the rest of the complex, in Gothic style, with its admirable cross-shaped decorated polygonal plant.
Two typical and exclusive spaces of this architectural complex, which tell different shades of life, culture and history between the noble walls, as well as constituting characteristic and particular scenes for photo shoots, occasions and events of different types.
THE GARDENS AND THE FIELDS
The green “setting” of Villa Sesso Schiavo is respectable. There is the large central courtyard, overlooked by the main body and the barchesse, which is characterized by ornamental trees and plants, some of great historical or botanical interest, such as the rare Japanese sofore or the imposing 250-year-old magnolia. We move then in the garden on the east side, a lush spontaneous park fed by clear springs.
And finally the agricultural land, belonging to the Villa, which brings the natural surface to a total area of over 15 thousand square meters, abundant views, views, perfect corners for moments of relaxation, photo shoots, different moments in the context of various occasions or even for a simple and refreshing walk in nature.