Villa Saraceno, Agugliaro, Italy

Villa Saraceno has been dated to the 1540s, which makes it one of Andrea Palladio's earlier works. In 1570 the building was illustrated in an imagined state in its architect's influential publication 'Four Books of Architecture'.

Villa Saraceno is one of Palladio's simpler creations. Like most of Palladio's villas it combines living space for its upper-class owners with space for uses related to agriculture. Above the piano nobile is a floor which was designed as a granary. As it stands today, the villa has a nineteenth-century wing which links it to a fifteenth-century building.

The villa fell into a poor state of repair in the twentieth century but retained some of its original frescoes. It was acquired in 1989 by the British charity the Landmark Trust. By 1994 the Trust had completed its restoration, converting the property, which includes adjacent farm-buildings not by Palladio, into a holiday home sleeping up to 16 people. The many people who have since stayed in the villa include Witold Rybczynski, who used it as a base when researching his book on Palladio.

The restoration has been praised for its sensitivity, and since 1996 the villa has enjoyed an additional level of protection, being conserved as one of the buildings which make up the World Heritage Site 'City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto'.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Stuart Mitchenall (2 years ago)
Lovely landmark trust property. Stay wonderful but lack of modern facilities in very hot weather something to consider. But still wonderful.

R dL (2 years ago)
Stayed here for a week through the British Landmark Trust. Absolutely incredible that you can have the villa all to yourself! Personal cook available if needed.

Catapult Consulting (2 years ago)
I stayed here to celebrate my 50th birthday with friends and family. Just stunning!! It really suits a large group, and there was so much space as a holiday rental as well as a beautiful building with fascinating frescoes and exceptional architectural style. My stay at Saraceno is one I will never forget!!

Heran Bago (3 years ago)
This is what they're talking about when they say UNESCO world heritage site. It's Less than £30 per head per night to stay here, check the website for The Landmark Trusts. Very well maintained grounds. Clean bathrooms. No internet.

Claudio Fasolin (3 years ago)
Nice place

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright discopalace

Historic Site of the week

Sigmaringen Castle

Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.

The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.

These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.

Villa Saraceno

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Sigmaringen Castle