August 22, 2015
The site of the present day villa was originally occupied by a manor house which belonged to Ludovico Cordellina and Carlo Molin. The construction of a lavish villa was commissioned in the 1730s by Carlo Cordellina Molin who had inherited the property from Ludovico and Carlo.
Villa Cordellina Lombardi was designed by architect Giorgio Massari, with some help from Francesco Muttoni, between 1735-1742. The complex was completed in its entirety in 1760, which is when it became a meeting place for celebrities, writers and scientists. It was used during both World Wars to serve a military purpose and, at one point, served as a silkworm breeding farm and a boarding school.
It has a Palladian-esque front facade, composed of an Ionic portico with four columns and pediment, and interior, with the room layout symmetry. Not to be missed is the rich interior decoration, with frescoes throughout the central hall created by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo in 1743.
The villa was restored by Vittorio Lombardi, who became the owner in 1955. I believe it now holds public and government meetings.
I had originally discover this villa on my drive to the Romeo and Juliet Castles back in July. After driving past it on my way home I researched the name and decided to visit. I arrived at the villa on a Saturday morning and first walked around the property and then into the villa. The interior is a simple layout, with each room seeming to have a Murano glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling. I was the only person visiting so I had the villa to myself, which meant it was a perfect opportunity to sit on the gravel path next to one of the statues and sketch.
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