«The palace has side by side oratorio and in front of the garden, where a splendid oleander of roses, gaggie, tuberose and other flowers is taught. From the windows and the balusters, balconies, the view over the plain, the plagues of far mountains and the nearby shores that are very amenable…»
Villa Asolona
Vittorio Palladini
Asolo and its territory
1892
A bit of history…
The construction of the Villa Asolona dates back to the first half of the XVII Century. The earliest document avaliable is a notary act dated August 1677 that certifies the acquisition of the Villa Asolona by a rich Venetian nobleman of that time.
The present structure of the villa formed by a central body, a barchessa and a small church dates back to the first half of the XVII Century. The historical documents that have been found, provide evidence that the restoration of the central structure of the building took place in 1778, when the wonderfully stucco decorated interior was matched by the addition of elegant stucco-motifs on the south façade, that embellished the original structure. To the same date (1778) it goe back the coat of arms of the family Licini Negri, owners of the Villa Asolona from the beginning of the XVII Century. During the XVIII Century some floors of a venetian terrace at ground floor were repaired. Then the structure was acquired by a well-known Paduan marquis.
…and some nice-to knows
In 1925 Giacomo Raselli, the then owner of the Villa Asolona, who had become the Podestà (as the Mayor was called at that time) of Asolo, devoted himself to many commendable initiatives, and among others the construction of the Asolo Primary School. The King of Italy attended the inauguration and was hosted in the Villa. On that special, prestigious occasion, a bath room, still existing today, was built specifically for the king.
Giacomo Raselli did his utmost also for culture, paying great honors to Eleonora Duse, making Asolo a reference point for the great actress and her admirers.
Asolo hosted many other important people such as Freja Starcl and Robert Browning. In teh Villa Asolona various periods of time were spent by contemporary well-known poets and actors, among whom Eleonora Duse and her tormented lover Gabriele D’Annunzio. They left thanking letters and small presents, that today are precious heirlooms for the descendants of the honoured and erudite first Podestà of Asolo.
Alberto Sordi was the actor, who stayed there longest when in 1964 together with Silvana Mangano starred in the film “il disco volante” (The Flying Saucer).
